Need
by DreaminginOctober
Summary: Horrible things happen to Naruto and Hinata at the hands of Kabuto. This story is of their struggle to find their way back to normal. DARK, MANY WARNINGS. READ DISCLAIMER FIRST!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer and Author's Notes**

**Of course, it goes without saying, that I don't own Naruto or any of the characters or places herein.**

**ABOUT THIS STORY**

**This story is dark, serious, and there's little to no fluff within it, until maybe much later. I want to warn anyone who is thinking of reading it:**

**This story has rape, foul language, and possibly consensual sexual situations later on**

**The rape is not detailed, but knowing first hand what it is like, if anything similar has ever happened to you, it may upset you to read this story. Just be aware and read at your own risk. **

**Thanks**


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata woke with a start.

_The fight.... I was hit in the head and bleeding....Naruto screaming.... he couldn't get to me in time. _ _Backup wasn't due to arrive yet, he got the jump on us._

_Kabuto. But, it wasn't exactly. It was Orochimaru **wearing** Kabuto? It looked like both of them. Eeew._

Her head was splitting and she was still very groggy. She tried to move and sit up, and realized that she couldn't. She figured out that she was strapped tightly to a table. She tried to look around, but the room was very dark. She activated her Byakugan to scan the room.

Hinata was laying on a stainless steel examination table, and was strapped down with thick leather buckles. Her waist and chest were strapped on as well, so she couldn't get leverage to attempt to free herself. The door was opposite her feet. There was no window on it, and it was made of thick steel. Beyond it was just a hallway with no windows there, either. She scanned to her left, and there was nothing but shelves with books and canisters on them. To her right was something completely different.

Naruto was in a column of extremely thick glass, hanging from odd shackles. They seemed to be machines, as they were metal and had blinking lights on them. He appeared to be sleeping. Something else was attracting her attention, though. It seemed the glass was suppressing and slowly extracting his chakra. It was just a trickle, but it was taking it, nonetheless. Naruto had a large cut on his chest, and since he was being denied his chakra, it wasn't healing. The gash wasn't bleeding, though, so she didn't panic over it just yet. His vital signs seemed to be stable, just his chakra was being manipulated.

The 19 year old woman gathered her strength and called to her companion as loudly as her small voice could muster.

"Naruto! Wake up! Naruto, we're in trouble! Naruto!!", her voice echoed in the cave-like room.

Naruto stirred, groaning in pain and discomfort. He slowly lifted his head, looking in the direction of the soft voice calling out to him. His chest was on fire, and his arms and legs were aching beyond anything he'd felt in a long time. He could barely move at all, and felt very weak. His eyes searched for Hinata, but he couldn't see much because of the pitch-dark room and the thick glass that he was contained in.

"Hinata," his voice wavered with fatigue. "What's going on? Where did we wind up? I feel horrible, and I can't move."

"We're in one of Kabuto's dungeon rooms," she replied shakily. "I can't move, either. I'm strapped down to a table, and I can't move my body at all."

"Damn, that fucking Kabuto!" Naruto hissed. "If he's gone to all this trouble to capture us, he's got something really nasty planned. The only reason we're still alive is because we have something he needs for one of his creepy-ass experiments. Start thinking, Hinata. What can we do to get out of here?"

"NOTHING," a man's voice boomed out of the darkness, reverbating off the walls of the room. A snide laughter followed the solitary word, and Kabuto appeared from the gloom, an evil smirk dressing his now snake-like face.

Hinata couldn't hide her fear. She had heard the horror stories of this man and what he did to people. It was well known that he experimented on live people just as much as cadavers. She also heard he wasn't interested in anesthesia. It was said he enjoyed the screams and suffering that came from his victims. From the look on his face right then, she understood that the stories were true. Her breathing quickened, and her stomach was doing flip-flops over and over. There was no escape, and she was all too aware of that fact.

Naruto, however, didn't care how hopeless it looked. He was going to find a way out and kick that bastard's ass straight into hell, where he belonged. With renewed determination, he struggled against his bonds. He couldn't so much as move an inch in either direction, though, and he was running out of energy quickly. He had to think, but even that was getting difficult, as the machine he was encased in sucked the chakra from his incapacitated body.

Kabuto closed the distance between himself and Hinata. He stood by the cold metal table, relishing his victory and his coming prizes from his two captives. The fear from Hinata radiated off of her, and he basked in it.

"Oh, the things I'm going to do to you, little girl," he grinned at her. "I already have a set of Hyuuga eyes, but I can always play around with yours until they do what I want them to. I'll have to think about how I want to tweak them. But, before I make you scream from pain, maybe I'll have a little fun and make you scream in pleasure, first."

He roughly grabbed Hinata's left breast and then ran his hand down her torso and in between her legs, feeling the heat that came off of her body. Hinata closed her eyes to him and whimpered slightly, her body shook with terror and disgust at the thought of this evil creature pleasuring himself with her body.

"**NO!!! GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF HER NOW!!!!" **Naruto screamed at his captor. "She's not yours to touch, you fucking pig! If you do anything to her, I swear I'll _**kill**_ you!!" Naruto squirmed in his shackles, his adrenaline allowing him a moment of power enough to move more than before. He could feel the change coming on, the Kyuubi stirring within him as his anger rose and festered at the thought of Hinata being molested by Kabuto's hands. But just as quickly as the red chakra rose, it was siphoned away by the machine holding him prisoner.

Kabuto laughed, stroking Hinata's hair now and looking Naruto straight in the eyes. "Go ahead and struggle. Please, get as angry as you want. Because, that's what I want. Call the Kyuubi. His chakra will be mine if you continue. Of course, that is all I've wanted all along, but she is the perfect bait to get you riled up. The woman you love will be ruined by me first. I know that you haven't had the pleasure yet. And I know you love her above all others. So, in order to make sure I get enough Kyuubi chakra for my needs, I'll have to continue, over and over while you watch and know that you could do nothing to stop me. You can't save her. _**Ever.**_"

Naruto screamed again, calling out to Hinata, as she begged him to help her. And Kabuto did what he said he would do, and the nightmare continued for Hinata and Naruto for hours. Naruto fought and raged in the chakra prison, hate and venom and murder filled his thoughts. The red chakra poured out of him and was collected. Hinata screamed and fought against her torturer until her voice cracked and no sound came. Kabuto bent toward her head and whispered something in her ear, while violating her further. Then, eventually she turned her face in Naruto's direction and he could see that her soul left her eyes. She was breathing, and her eyes were open, but they saw nothing. The Hyuuga princess laid on the table, limp and lifeless while the enemy continued to violate her brutalized body.

Naruto cried out her name over and over, now begging Kabuto to stop instead of demanding it. Tears streamed down his face as he witnessed the most hideous thing he had ever seen in his 19 years. He became sick suddenly, and emptied his stomach contents on the floor of his cell. Never had he ever felt such despair and emotional pain. Kabuto was right. He couldn't save her.

The evil science ninja halted what he was doing suddenly. He realized that he wasn't going to get any more chakra from his captive, so he unceremoniously climbed off of Hinata and walked out the door, leaving it open.

Hours passed, and Naruto could only watch helplessly as Hinata breathed in and out slowly, with the same unseeing eyes capturing his face. Every once in a while her body would convulse slightly and she would gasp a little harder until she quieted again. His brain was trying to process what had happened to them, but it couldn't and he started crying again, telling the unhearing Hinata how sorry he was. Finally, his body shut down again, and he fainted in the glass prison.

_An explosion.......yelling and the noise of weapons clashing....a flurry of movement in the room they were being held in........the rush of fresh air and the feeling of the sun on his body...another explosion and the sound of collapsing rubble......and then....._

Naruto's eyes fluttered open and the light made them burn. They felt heavy still, and were slightly swollen, he guessed. His body felt like it was made of lead and his stomach was a cold rock laying inside the core of his body. He heard a gasp and a familiar voice yell for Tsunade-sama. Oh, it was Shizune. He tried to look in that direction, but found it very difficult to turn his head. Not used to being so weak, he groaned with even that slight movement.

Suddenly, he felt Tsunade's crushing embrace and the dampness of tears on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you came back to us!" the Hokage cried. "I thought we'd never see your blue eyes again." She pushed back to look at him, a small smile on her face. She looked worn and haggard, like someone who hadn't slept in a long time.

"What's wrong, Obaa-chan? Did I fall and almost kill myself again? Man, I'm such a klutz sometimes. I don't even remember doing it.....hey, wait. There's something more going on, isn't there? You aren't yelling at me for being stupid." He was completely puzzled by the looks on the ladies' faces. It was more than just concern. It was concern and _pity_. Now he was frustrated and wanted answers. "Tell me what's going on right now," he demanded of her. For the life of him, he couldn't remember anything that would give him a clue as to why he was in the hospital, but he had a very bad feeling about it.

"Naruto," she said gently, "you've been in a coma for 7 and a half months."

His eyes shot open wide, and he just stared at Tsunade as if in a trance for a few moments. "What...did you just..say?" he asked quietly.

"Naruto, you almost didn't make it out alive, and your chakra had been depleted so much, and we figure it nearly killed the Kyuubi, as well, what Kabuto did to you. That's why we think you were in the coma for so long. You and the Kyuubi needed to recover in a way we don't quite understand, but it must be almost complete now, since you have woken up." She stopped to give him time to process this bit of information before she would go on.

At the mention of Kabuto's name, he suddenly flinched, like someone struck him in the back of the skull. The mention of his name started a flurry of memories and images in Naruto's foggy brain, and they were images he didn't want to see. He became frightened at what he was remembering, and he balled his bedsheets up against his chest. Tears started to fall in streams down his cheeks and dripped off of his chin. He started whimpering and shaking like a whipped puppy, and he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, trying to shut out the fractured memories of his ordeal in Kabuto's dungeon lab.

Tsunade and Shizune both quietly went to his side. They knew what was happening, that he was suddenly remembering. Tsunade sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the man she loved like a son to her, cradling him to her chest as he cried and moaned over and over. He started chanting Hinata's name and saying he was sorry and saying that he tried so hard to save her.

Tsunade eased him away from her and took his chin in her hands, holding his eyes to hers. "_Don't_ do this, Naruto. Just don't. The ANBU that rescued you told me what kind of machine you were encased in. They took pictures of it before they destroyed the place. I have studied it, and I can tell you that you really could not have escaped it, no matter what you tried. It isn't your fault what happened. He just had the upper hand that time, and there was nothing any of us could have done to stop it. If you continue to beat yourself up, you will lose your mind over this, and that is something I can't allow. I _won't_ allow it. I doubt Hinata would have blamed you, either."

Naruto noticed immediately that Tsunade spoke of Hinata in the past tense. This scared him more, but he opened his mouth and asked the question, anyway.

"Obaa-chan, is she.....is she dead? Did she suffer much afterwards? After what he did to her?" Tears started to fall from his blue eyes yet again.

Tsunade took a deep breath, she didn't want to tell him this part, but she had to now. "Hinata is not dead. Well, at least her body isn't, anyway. I did emergency surgery on her when she was brought in, and she made a full physical recovery. She wasn't as bad off physically as you may have imagined, considering. If circumstances were optimal, she would be able to lead a normal life, and even still have children. Unfortunately, her mind did not fare as well as her body. She was in a catatonic state when the ANBU took her from the dungeon, and she remains so to this day. She recognizes no one. She barely blinks, she doesn't move on her own. Hiashi, Hanabi, and Neji did all they could for her at home to bring her back to consciousness, but after weeks of trying they had to give up. I allowed Inoichi to try to work with her, but he said there is a massive barrier in her mind that he is afraid to attempt to break through. She is under 24 hour care in the mental ward of the hospital. We don't....w-we don't expect her to ever recover."

Naruto clenched his fists and his teeth at the same time, and his eyes seemed to darken as anger and frustration claimed his face.

"I want to see her. Right now," he stated firmly between his teeth. "Take me to her, Shizune. I need to see her. I need to see for myself what my failure has done to the woman I love." His calm, even tone made the two women uneasy.

"Naruto, I don't think in your condition, you should...," Shizune started.

"THEN GET ME A WHEELCHAIR!" he roared at her.

Shizune jumped back at his ouburst and looked hesitantly at Tsunade, who nodded for her to pull up the wheelchair from the corner of the room. They both helped the weakened shinobi into the chair and Tsunade wheeled him down to the mental ward. Naruto had a death-grip on the arms of the wheelchair, as if his impatience couldn't be contained. The Hokage stopped him at the nurse's station, and asked him to wait a moment while she got Hinata prepared.

A few moments later she returned, and looking down on him, warned, "You are not going to like what you see. Understand this, she is not going to acknowledge you, no matter what you say or do. Say what you want to say to make yourself feel better and then leave it alone. You'll only cause yourself more pain, otherwise."

Naruto glared up at the Hokage, a fierce determination blazed in his eyes. "You just wait and see. I may not get through to her today, but I won't give up until Hinata looks at me and says my name."

Tsunade sighed, and started pushing him into Hinata's room. "Whatever you say, gaki. Just don't get yourself too worked up right now. You're still weak and you have a long way to go to get back to your normal self."

Hinata had been placed in an easy chair that was facing a window. She was so frail and thin, she looked like a child under the knitted blanket that had been placed over her. There were huge, dark bags under her eyes, hiding the beauty that once was. Her cheeks were sunken and her skin was a sallow pale, with a grey tinge to it. She was malnourished and weakened from her condition. Her eyes never wavered from the spot they were fixed on, and she rarely blinked.

They were the same eyes he saw when she was brutalized, and his breathing hitched suddenly as his mind carried him back to that day. Tears flowed from him again, and his heart broke in a million pieces just looking at her. He kept thinking that if ever there was a person who didn't deserve this fate, it was the once beautiful woman sitting in front of him.

He looked back, and it appeared that Tsunade had let herself out to give them some privacy. He turned back to the girl in the chair. He wheeled himself closer to the chair, hesitant because he didn't want to startle her and ruin getting a chance to be with her. He gently put his hand on hers, but she gave no reaction. It hurt him, because she loved holding hands with him. She would always weave her fingers with his and stay that way for hours on end without letting go. He noticed her skin was cold, and he gripped her small hand tighter in his to warm it. Still no indication she knew he was there. He sat like that for a few minutes, trying to keep his composure up.

"Hey angel," he spoke to her quietly. "I came to see you, it's been a while, so they tell me." He was having a hard time finding something to say, all of the sudden. "Hinata, can you talk to me, please? Are you mad at me, or something? You've never used the silent treatment on me before," he chuckled lightly, without any feeling.

He maneuvered himself in front of her chair this time to try again. Maybe if she was somewhat looking at him, she might actually recognize him. "Hey, Hinata, it's ok now. We're both safe and you're ok, and I'm going to be again real soon. There's nothing to worry about. We can be together again, and if you want, I can take you out to that nice restaurant we passed by the last time we went for a walk. Or, maybe we can catch a movie? I'll even spring for popcorn and gummi bears if you like." He tried to smile at her, but it was getting harder with each breath.

The ghost-like girl in the chair still didn't see him or move or speak. She just sat there, breathing, barely existing at all. She looked so broken, in so many ways. Naruto's heart ached to the core, watching her do nothing at all.

He got an idea, and reached out and touched her knee. No reaction. He then pushed her by her legs over to the far side of the chair. Then, he heaved himself akwardly out of the wheelchair, and with shaky arms and legs, fell into the easy chair beside her. It annoyed him to be so weak, and he knew it would take a long time before he was back to his old self. He pulled Hinata's fragile frame into his lap, holding her to him gently, as if she would break if he breathed too hard. Then, he scooted around so his legs were hanging off the arm of the chair and they were basically laying together across the chair width. He spread the blanket over them a little better and cuddled his lost love to him, kissing her forehead.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry those terrible things happened to you. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him. I tried so hard, but nothing worked. Please, I hope you can forgive me. I want you to be happy, not miserable like this. Hinata, please come back to me, angel. I miss you so much. I love you. Please, I need you."

As he said the last words, his body started shaking as he sobbed against her midnight hair. But even with his crying, there was no reaction from the broken woman. He held her like that for hours, and eventually fell asleep.

Some time later, a nurse entered the room. She stopped short, not sure what to do about the scene she had just come up on.

"Mr. Uzumaki," she called out. "Sir, I'm sorry, but it's time for us to feed and care for Hinata. If we could please have the room, um, you can go back up to your room now."

Naruto woke from her words, and looked longingly at Hinata's still body in his arms. "Sure, miss," he replied quietly. "If you can give me a hand, I'll be on my way."

The nurse complied and lifted Hinata off of him, setting her on the nearby bed. Then, since he was still very weak, she assisted Naruto with getting back into his wheelchair. She offered to take him back up to his room and help him to bed, but he waved her off.

"I'll be fine getting there myself," he smiled at her. "Please take care of Hinata. I'll come back by later to visit with her. Oh, and if you see the Hokage today, please tell her I'm wanting to speak to her. It's very important," he added. Then he wheeled his way back to his room and climbed back into bed.

A few hours later, Tsunade had to go looking for Naruto, as he wasn't in his room. Not that she was surprised, or anything. She found him sitting on the bench outside the hospital entrance, soaking in the sun. It appeared he was lost in thought. Tsunade wasn't stupid, she knew what this was about. Hinata.

"So, did you walk down here yourself, or did you sweet talk one of the nurses to give you a hand?" she asked, grinning.

"Nah, I came down myself. I'm already feeling a lot better. I'm still sleepy all the time, and I need some real food, though," he answered, trying to give her a huge hint.

She grinned, knowingly, and offered,"I'll send Sakura down to Ichiraku's in a little bit."

"Um, can you send Ino, instead? I need to speak to her," he asked quietly, not looking at her.

Tsunade saw through his request, and firmly answered, "No, absolutely not. We've already gone that route, and neither you or Ino have permission to interfere."

Naruto clenched his fists, slammed them down on the bench and turned to the Hokage, seething anger in his voice, "You have no right to withhold treatment from her, you're a doctor! You can't just leave her this way, Obaa-chan, you just can't! What could possibly be worse than Hinata sitting there for the rest of her life like a zombie, probably wishing someone would save her from the hell she's in? It's not fair! It's not fair to her, and...and it's not fair to me. I can't stand the thought of her going through this the rest of her life, dammit. Besides, I need her too much to let this go. We love each other. Can't you just let me do this for her?"

His eyes were welling up again, and he wiped them roughly with his sleeve. He cursed himself for being such a crybaby, but the feelings in him were so raw and uncontrollable, he was beyond stopping his reactions to the situation. Then a realization hit him, and he asked a question that he knew would open up a new can of worms.

"It's Hiashi, isn't it? He won't give permission to help her, will he? He's blocking her getting any more treatment. That son of a bitch. He's finally gotten what he wanted, hasn't he? He's never loved her, always putting that damned clan before his own children. I bet he'll throw her out for this, when it isn't even her fault."

"You're wrong," Tsunade almost yelled. "Hiashi did everything he could think of to help her. He and Hanabi and Neji worked tirelessly to get her back, but it just didn't work! Hiashi actually shed tears when he got the report of what happened to her, it tore his heart out. You weren't there to witness it, so don't get all self-righteous about what Hiashi has or hasn't done for Hinata."

She frowned at him, and continued. "Unfortunately, you are right on one of your suspicions. The clan elders turned the situation to their advantage as soon as Hinata was placed back into the hospital. Hiashi and Hanabi fought them and stalled as much as they could, but clan law is what it is, and the elders were fierce about enforcing it. Hinata was stripped of her title and excommunicated by the clan. She is no longer allowed on the compound, and has no rights as a Hyuuga. She is not even allowed to use that name as a surname any longer."

As Naruto took in her words, he became angrier and angrier. His jaw tightened as he ground his teeth together and he gripped the seat of the bench so hard that pieces of wood snapped off in his hand.

Tsunade added sadly, "I didn't want to tell you all of this yet, as I didn't think you'd be up to it this soon. I know that it is one huge injustice after another when it comes to Hinata. Normally, Inoichi could have gotten her back to consciousness, but she has set up a wall that has no door to it. He couldn't see how to break through without completely lobotmizing her. He had never seen anything like it before, catatonics' brains normally don't behave quite like that, there's always a way in. I stopped all further invasive treatment to Hinata. Hiashi had nothing to do with it. As Hokage, she is my responsibility now, and I have forbidden it for her own good."

"Her own 'good'. HA! You've given up on her and thrown her away like so much trash!" he spat back at her. "How can you call yourself Hokage. You aren't willing to do what needs to be done here, out of fear. You aren't willing to go the extra mile for one of your subordinates, someone who has given everything for you and for this village. I don't know whether it's politics or old age that has made you stop taking necessary risks, but either way, you've sold out your convictions for convenience. If Hinata's too high maintenance for you to have to bother with, then I'll take responsibility for her, and your poor, overburdened shoulders will have their relief." He was on a roll now, not caring what he said or how bad it would hurt her.

Tsunade stood up suddenly, trying her best to control herself and not hit him. "Look, you little prick," she seethed at him, "what do you think I do every day? Huh? How easy do you think it is to run this village? How easy do you think it is sending young men and women like you out into the unknown to dangerous situations day in and day out? How do you think it feels when they don't come back? How fun do you think it is sparring with those scheming assholes I have to deal with in the council? I have to bow and kiss their asses daily just to get menial issues dealt with. You may think Hokage is all sitting there telling people what to do and getting a hefty paycheck, but it's a massive job that carries responsibility you haven't even thought of. I can't wait until you're sitting there in that chair, wishing you could figure out how to circumvent the politics and criticism every time you try to make a decision. I can't wait to laugh the first time the council gets in your face about every change you want to make to better the village. That will be a hoot, I hope I'm alive to witness it."

"Hell, if cutting off my balls and handing them over to the council and then whining and crying like a whipped bitch is a requirement for the job, then fuck it, I don't want it," he answered. "You used to be the toughest person I knew, Obaa-chan. You've let those leeches in the council get to you, and your weakness is obvious. The Tsunade I know would have shoved them out the door with their pensions a long time ago, and governed the village the way it was meant to be. I guess I really didn't know you at all." He looked her straight in the eye when he said the last, and decided to ignore the anger coming off of her as he made his final decision on the matter.

He stood up to go back to his room but continued. "Give up your guardianship of Hinata and let me take care of her. I'm going to take an indefinite leave of absence from my duties as a ninja, effective today. I have plenty of money that Dad and Mom left me to hire a nurse to help out until I get her back to normal. If you don't go ahead and make it legal, I'll just do it anyway, and make things worse because I'll leave the village to do it. I don't want things to go that way, but I'll do what I have to in order to protect Hinata.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see my girlfriend. I'll be moving into her room if you want me. You see, unlike everyone else, I believe she still needs me, and I'm going to be there for her from now on."

He turned to walk back into the building, leaving a fuming but speechless Hokage behind him. She stood there for a few moments, mulling over the heated argument they had just had. Then, she sighed heavily and started walking back to the Hokage tower, shaking her head.

_I guess I'll go ahead and fill out that leave of absence form for him and find the guardianship documents and go ahead and shred them. I sure hope he knows what hell he's getting himself into._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes**

**Well, thanks for the support I've gotten on this story. I'm glad it is well received, so far. **

**I do wish you guys would review more, as I know darn well this story isn't perfect!**

**I want to explain something, to those of you who are wondering. My husband read the first part, and commented on how Naruto doesn't really act like the Naruto we know from the anime and manga. It really put a bug up his butt, and I'll explain it here like I did to him.**

**I wrote Naruto, Hinata and the other people from their class in this story as young adults that have just turned 20. In the manga and anime, currently, these characters are 15-16 year old teenagers. There's a lot of maturity that goes on in the difference in years. Besides, from what we know that's going on in the official story right now, these characters are going to be growing up emotionally pretty fast. In reality, that would happen, so why not in this particular story? **

**I just wanted to address that, in case anyone had any misgivings about Naruto being out of character. Really, I don't think he is. And, yes, I really think that given his job and the political figures he would have to deal with on missions, etc., he would wind up way more articulate. Dating Hinata would help a lot along those lines as well. The way I see the character, this is how he would act as a 20 year old. **

**Part 2 of the story, which is posted with this notation, is pretty short. It is a transitional chapter that just sort of glosses over the events that tie the first part of the story to the upcoming chapters. It is a little lighter than the beginning, and I hope it gives you all an insight into how far Naruto will go for the one he loves.**

**I dedicate this chapter to my wonderful husband, who goes above and beyond every day to make sure his family is taken care of. **

**Thanks, babe. : )**


	4. Chapter 4

It was one week later, and Naruto was finally out of the hospital. He was feeling almost perfect by this time, and was looking forward to going home for a while. Also, he was trying to decide what to do about Hinata. His apartment was very small, and not really meant for two people and a full-time nurse. He wanted to get Hinata out of the hospital right away, though, and wasn't sure what course of action to take. It would take a large chunk out of his trust fund to buy a house, but he was thinking that was exactly what he should do.

He walked into his apartment, carrying a newspaper under his arm, and a take-out box from Ichiraku's in the opposite hand. He sat down on his bed and opened the paper, looking at the classified ads for a house.

They were breathtakingly expensive, and he was trying to think of what he could afford and furnish while still taking on a full-time nurse. It wasn't looking good. Then, something caught his eye, and it was an option he hadn't considered before. There was a small piece of land for sale right on the edge of the village. He read that it was ready for building and it was just a small percentage of what a house would cost. Suddenly, he had an epiphany, and he ran out the door, intent on finding a certain jounin to see if he could give him a hand.

After asking many people where said jounin was, he finally caught up with the man walking out of a yakatori shop in the middle of town. "Yamato Taicho!" he yelled, waving.

"Oi, Naruto!" the older man answered. "It's good to see you up and around. I had heard about...well, your ordeal. I'm glad you are going to be ok."

"Yeah, well, things aren't completely great yet," Naruto frowned. "I'm sure you heard about Hinata, as well." Yamato nodded, not sure what to say. "That's what I need to talk to you about."

Naruto told Yamato of his plans for bringing Hinata home and to find a way to break her catatonic state. He also told him he needed a way to build a house, and that's where the big question came in.

"Yamato Taicho, I was wondering. How much would you charge me for you to use your jutsu and build me and Hinata a house and put furniture in it? I know you're a busy person, and everything, but I really need this favor. If not for me, please think about doing it for Hinata. I promise I won't be picky, and it doesn't have to be a mansion, or anything. I just need something that has three bedrooms. I need a place for a nurse to stay. What do you say?"

Yamato stopped and considered the proposal. He got a warm smile on his face and answered, "Naruto, I would do whatever I could for you and Hinata. You are two of my favorite people. If you can manage it this week, I can do it for you. And, I wouldn't charge you a thing. You two deserve to be happy, and anything I can do to help make that happen would be a privilege."

Naruto stood there, just staring at Yamato with admiration. He laughed and said, "If we weren't two men standing in the middle of the street in broad daylight, I'd hug you right now."

"Uh well, it's the thought that counts, Naruto," Yamato laughed heartily, backing away a little. They walked down the street together, making plans for the new home.

The next morning, Naruto walked out of the real estate office with the deed to the property in his hands. Things seemed to be looking up for he and Hinata, but he tried to keep himself reigned in on the optimism. He still had Hinata's condition to overcome, if it ever could be.

As he walked through the streets of the village to Yamato's apartment, he thought back to the week before, what he said to her one day as he sat holding her in the easy chair in the hospital.

_You know what, angel? I've decided something. I've decided that I'm going to be the one to take care of you from now on. Isn't that great? No more hospital, no more gross smell, and the food will be a hell of a lot better, that's for sure!_

_Ah, Hinata, I wish I knew what to do for you to make you better. But, you know, with Ino and Sakura's help, I bet we'll figure it out in no time! We will all work really hard to get you back, just wait and see. _

_I have to get you back. I just have to. I have to see your smile and hear your little girl giggle again. I have to kiss you and hug you and watch the sunsets with you again. I have to save you this time, angel, and this time I won't mess up. I promise I won't. Because, I love you so much, and I need you to love me back. I need you, Hinata, because you are the only one who will love me just the right way. I won't stop trying because I can't let go of you. _

He knew then that he might have made another foolish promise, but he felt like it was the least he could do for her. She certainly wouldn't stop trying if the situation were reversed, so he felt he would be a horrible person if he let up even for a moment. The thought of letting her down again was unbearable, and he would see himself damned if he ever messed up again when it came to her.

After spending a few days with Yamato, learning how to install plumbing and electricity, and painting until he felt like his arms would fall off, the new house was finished in record time. Shadow clones were so convenient at times, he laughed to himself often during those days. Soon after, he bought furnishings and basic draperies, went to his apartment to claim his personal items, and closed the door on that chapter of his life for the last time.

The new house itself was a modest three bedroom, as Naruto has requested, with a fairly open kitchen and a large great room. Naruto was hoping they would get to entertain every now and then, once his girlfriend returned to her normal self. There was a large back yard, and he was planning on turning that into a huge Japanese-style garden for Hinata. He knew it would be one thing that she would sorely miss from her old home.

Later that same day, he stopped at Kurenai Yuhi's apartment in order to pick up Hinata's personal belongings. They had been left with her once the Hyuuga's denounced their former heir, in case she ever did recover and wanted to find her own place. There were quite a few clothes and hair products and cosmetics, he noted, and a box that contained pictures, a few old toys and stuffed animals from her childhood, and a diary.

He decided to be an adult and not look in the book without her permission, but he was eager to ask her about it when she recovered. He knew it would make her blush hard again, a habit she lost soon after they started dating. He was glad she was more confident now, but sometimes he missed her endearing stutter and almost constant blush. They weren't children any more, though, and he knew it was better to leave the past behind.

Now, all that was left was to go retrieve the 'lady of the house', as he was planning on calling her, and get her and the nurse he hired settled in.

The nurse came first, and they had no trouble getting her set up in her new room. Nerene' was a sweet and robust lady, who always wore a smile and had a kind word. Naruto had gone through many applicants to find her. He had been very picky, as only the best would do for Hinata. He also needed someone he could trust to be good to her once he started his ninja duties again. Whenever that would be. He wasn't eager to go back to that life, considering how he and Tsunade had fallen out the other week.

When Naruto and Nerene' went to retrieve Hinata, Naruto started feeling anxious all of the sudden. Scratch that, he was scared. The realization that everything from here on was unknown territory crawled under his skin, and the 'what if's' were spinning around his brain. He decided to choke back the overwhelming feelings, and put on his signature smile when he reached the nurses' station for the mental ward to check his girlfriend out.

After miles of paperwork, the deed was finally done. Getting her back to the house was problematic at first, but since she was so light now, Naruto decided to carry her the entire way with her riding piggyback. He had Nerene' bind her hands loosely around his neck with a ribbon so she wouldn't fall off, and he started back to the new house at a slow pace so he wouldn't disturb her. Nerene' stayed behind to get her instructions from the hospital staff and supplies she would need to take care of her charge.

As Naruto walked through town with Hinata, he noticed people were stopping to stare. _Crap, this seems all too familiar,_ he thought to himself. One thing was different, though. Instead of looking hateful and angry as they did in his youth, they now looked sad and concerned. Some even looked at them with admiration. Of course, everyone in the village knew what had happened to them by this time, especially that Hinata had been thrown out of the Hyuuga clan a few months ago. He decided to ignore the gawkers, and picked up the pace slightly in order to get home faster. He was starting to feel terribly uncomfortable.

As he unlocked and opened the door to the new house, Naruto got an idea. He maneuvered Hinata off of his back and cradled her in his arms like a new bride. Then he crossed the threshold of the front door, his vision darkening as he stepped inside. He was thankful that they were alone for this moment, he wanted the privacy as he felt a little silly for some reason.

"Here we are, Hinata," he announced, quietly. "Welcome home, angel." In saying that he hugged her tighter to him and kissed her forehead, a look of longing in his eyes. "Now that you're here, it will always be a happy place."


	5. Chapter 5

**I still don't own Naruto. Duh.**

_Every day Hinata would try to find a way out. For what seemed like hours each day, she pummeled the wall with her fists and feet, trying to make a scratch, a dent, any kind of mark on the impenetrable prison she was trapped in. It took quite a bit of time, but finally she realized that she was trapped inside her own mind. What she couldn't figure out was where the exit was. There had to be one somewhere, there just had to be. It was her mind, why couldn't she control it?_

_Every now and again, the memories of Kabuto raping her would be forced into her consciousness. No matter how hard she would try to keep them from coming, some unknown power would shove its way into her thoughts and change them. When she would fight back with pleasant thoughts of home, her friends, or Naruto, they would immediately become twisted and nightmarish. The images and false realities that the foreign power would bombard her with were nearly unbearable. Any time she would try to reason with herself that none of it was real, it would push harder to twist her perception. It was fighting her at every turn. _

_Still, she fought on, and in the low points of the frightening hallucinations, she would attack the indestructible wall. She had no idea how long she had been held prisoner, but it had seemed like an eternity, and she was starting to lose herself and any hope of making it out of the hellish mind torture with her sanity._

_The one thing she did know, is that Kabuto did this to her. As he was violating her he had whispered an odd set of phrases in her ear in a language she didn't understand. He had not put her under a genjutsu, as she first believed. She could have broken that eventually, or the power of the genjutsu would have run out after a while. Whatever he had done to her was permanent. There seemed to be no escape, and her last flickers of hope were fading........................................ _

When he heard the knock at the front door, he jumped from the couch to answer it. Ino was on the other side, and she looked nervous. She had every right to be, he noted. What they were planning would be sure to get her into huge amounts of trouble.

Tsunade was still adamant about Ino not getting involved with Hinata's case, and had threatened both her and Naruto repeatedly about it. Of course, Naruto was nonplussed, and boldly announced he'd gladly commit murder if it would get his girlfriend back. He had dismissed her threats, as he was convinced of her over all personal and professional weakness these days. At one point, he even dared her to try to stop him. The argument that ensued was epic, to say the least. The staff at the Hokage tower were still gossiping about it. The repairs to her office were just about finished, though.

Naruto invited his blonde friend in, and ushered her into the living room. He offered her a drink, which she declined, and they traded pleasantries and small-talk for a moment. Ino continued to appear visibly nervous, and so he decided to get to the heart of the matter before she lost her nerve and bailed out on him.

"Ino, you're the only person besides your dad that can do this," he stated, trying to stroke her ego. "You and Hinata are close friends, I know you want to help her."

"Sure. Of course I do. I just don't want to lose my head in the process, you know? Tsunade-sama made it clear I wasn't to have a role in this. You could get me fired....or worse," her voice dropped almost to a whisper. "It'll be bad if I'm found out."

"You leave the old hag to me," he boasted. "You just concentrate on getting Hinata back to us."

"Sure. Ok. Can I see her?" she asked, resigned. She wasn't convinced that Naruto had her boss under control.

"That's why you're here, isn't it? C'mon." He led her into Hinata's room, where she lay in bed, staring at the wall opposite her. Her physical condition had seemed to worsen, and Naruto was getting desperate.

Ino stared at the woman in the bed in mild shock. "Damn. She looks just....awful," she gasped.

"Well, no fucking shit," Naruto growled at her. "Can you just get on with it and do your thing, already?" Now he was just plain irritated.

Ino flinched at his words. She had a bad habit of engaging her mouth before her brain, and she knew she had done it again. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, and started to examine Hinata.

"Wow, her chakra's really weak. She could get pneumonia or something very easily if she doesn't get better soon." She looked up at Naruto, who was becoming highly exasperated.

"Please, before we get old, tell me one thing I don't already know. What are you stalling for? You can see for yourself we're running out of time here." He glared at her impatiently, and looked like he was about to hit the ceiling.

Ino got flustered and started waving her hands around. "Ok, ok! I'll look around and see if I can do anything about this 'wall' Dad talked about." She activated her mind probing jutsu, and directed it at Hinata.

She immediately saw the massive wall, and noticed it went on forever in every direction. There was no exit, as her father had said, and this puzzled her. She used the jutsu to mentally press up against the wall, and it sizzled and threw her back, breaking the jutsu. Ino shook her head painfully, and her eyes opened wide in disbelief at what she had just experienced.

"Shit!" she shouted. "What the _hell_ is _that_?"

Naruto started to panic at her reaction and he began pulling at his shaggy hair. "What? What? What did you see? Is it that bad? Can you fix it?"

"That would be a definite 'no'," Ino blurted out. "Listen, I don't know what that thing is in her head or how it got there, but I do know one thing: Hinata did _not _erect that wall as a protective mechanism. She didn't put it up at all. Someone has done this to her. Her mind has been deliberately imprisoned, and I have no idea what method was used to do it."

Naruto let all the air out of his lungs at once, his knees went out from under him and he collapsed on the floor. He sat there for a moment, going over Ino's explanation, and feeling a creeping fear come into his mind. Kabuto's eerie visage emblazoned itself on his memory, and his taunting words echoed over and over, _"You can't save her. __**Ever**__."_

That's when he finally realized it. "Kabuto did this to her! That day, when he had us captured, I remember, he said something to her a few minutes before 'it' was over. That's when she started to space out. She was fighting him the whole time before, but then she just stopped."

He jumped up from the floor and shot over to the bed, held Hinata's face in his hands and locked his eyes on to her sightless ones. "Are you sure this isn't a genjutsu of some type, Ino? Are you positive?" Ino nodded her head silently, looking down to the floor.

Naruto sighed, giving a look of regret to the kunoichi. "I'm really sorry, Ino, I know this will get rough for you, but I need to consult with Tsunade on this. I hope you can forgive me, but time is running out for Hinata, and I won't let her die like this. I don't want to rat you out, but we need someone who can dig into the village archives and try to find a way to undo this."

"Don't worry about it, really. I want Hinata to be safe, too. I couldn't let her get worse on my account. Let me run back to the house and get Dad, and we'll meet you at the Hokage's office in an hour." She stood to face him, a reassuring smile on her pixie-like face. "We're going to figure this out. You two hang in there, I'll see you in a few." With that, she ran out of the house to find her father.

Naruto was trying to keep himself together, but his worry was starting to peak, and he sat there holding the lifeless Hinata, pressing his cheek to her clammy forehead.

"What did that son of a bitch do to you? Why? Why would he? You never did a damn thing to deserve something like this," he cried between clenched teeth. "I'll fight this, I'll win against him-I mean it! I won't let you die! I won't be without you. As long as your heart is still beating, I'll keep trying to save you, angel. I'll never give up on you. Please, don't you give up. Please." He could only hope that she heard him, and know that he was willing to give it all to give her her life back.

He got up, shouted to Nerene' that he was going out for a while as he put his shoes on, and rushed out the door. Sure, he knew he might be in for the confrontation of his life when he informed Tsunade what he and Ino were up to. He'd have to find a way to convince the Hokage not to fire the poor medic ninja. He was so grateful to Ino, her risking her career and realistically, her health when the godaime found out, for he and Hinata. He knew that she and his girlfriend had become close in the past few years, and he was glad about that. Hinata would need a lot of support around her for when she would find out about her loss of status in the Hyuuga clan. That was another matter that made his gut burn with anger, but it was a secondary concern at this point, and he pushed it to the back of his mind as he walked through the village streets toward the looming building that held the Hokage's office.

As he topped the stairs on the way to the office, Shizune was at her desk. She noticed the look on Naruto's face, and moved to intercept him before he went barging into Tsunade's office and raised a ruckus.

"Where do you think you're going? You can't go in there unannounced, you know that. Stay here and I'll tell her you need to see her. She's not in a mood to for this today," the assistant warned.

"Like I give a rat's ass what the princess' mood is. It's at the top of her job description to be pissy, isn't it? Now move before I drop-kick your pig out the window straight in the butcher shop's direction." She had just pissed him off with her pathetic stalling tactic, so right now he'd make good on that threat. He pushed past her, and walked straight into the office, slamming the door against the wall on purpose for effect.

"HEY BAKA! Get out!" Tsunade roared at him. "I'm not interested in whatever it is that's up your butt today, so turn around and haul your skinny ass out of here." She was still angry at him for the previous arguments they had had recently, and wasn't looking forward to another. Still, she knew something was amiss if he was here at all. He was clear he didn't want to see her again unless he had to from their last conversation.

He ignored her demand, and sat roughly in the chair positioned in front of her desk. The dark scowl on his face told her he wasn't going anywhere, and she sighed heavily, sitting back down in her own chair. She roughly ran her fingers through her hair, wishing she had a sake bottle to help her deal with whatever was coming. They sat in silence for a moment, glaring at each other, until the Hokage couldn't stand it any longer and she broke the stare down.

"So, what are we waiting for, exactly?" she queried, trying to act bored. She tapped her fingers on the desk impatiently, giving herself away. No wonder she always lost at gambling, he noted.

"Not what, but who," he answered, folding his arms across his chest. "They'll be here any time now."

As if on cue, Ino and her father walked up to the door, Ino tapping on the frame lightly, asking for entrance. Tsunade's teeth grated against each other and she grabbed the arms of her chair in a death-grip.

"Come in," she invited with a eerily calm voice. Her eyes bored a hole through the young blonde woman, who was visibly shaking.

Ino scooted warily into the office and stood behind Naruto's chair. Inoichi stood next to her, a concerned look on his face as his eyes shifted between the godaime and his daughter. They both bowed, and then Naruto started.

"Hear me out before you start your tirade," he commanded. "Yes, I got them involved after you said not to. You'll just have to get over that," he bluntly told her. Murder was in her eyes, but she kept still as he continued. "Ino did some exploring, and we've made a huge discovery. Hinata isn't catatonic because her mind is protecting itself from the rape. She's had some odd jutsu-thing put on her, and it's imprisoning her mind. It isn't a genjutsu, it's something else entirely. When Ino tried to push against it, it attacked her and threw her out of Hinata's mind. We have no idea how to break it, but it's killing Hinata. We need your help to save her."

"If I may, Tsunade-sama," Inoichi broke in, "I think I may have an idea what's at play here, from what Ino described to me. Unfortunately, I don't know a remedy for the problem, but it is a start to find an answer." Everyone in the room stared at him with rapt interest.

"In distant lands, on some of the other continents, a different type of jutsu, for lack of a better term, is practiced," he continued. "This discipline is called 'magic', and it is very different in a lot of ways from jutsu, though the outcomes of many of the 'spells', I believe they're called, are quite similar. If Kabuto was studying this other discipline, he may have succeeded in placing one of these 'spells' on Hinata, consequently binding her mind in this manner."

Tsunade sat in silence for a few moments, staring at her hands clasped together on the top of her desk. She had only barely heard of this thing called magic, and it was only second-hand accounts. Very few of the lands on their continent dealt with the other countries beyond the oceans, and only a smattering of visitors from the foreign lands ever came for trade or tourism. None of them had come all the way to the Land of Fire at all, or at least there were no reports of them.

The fact that Kabuto had access to these pseudo-jutsus was very disturbing, to say the least. If there was no way that conventional jutsu could counter this magic, then there could be trouble on a scale she couldn't quite imagine. It worried her beyond Hinata's plight. The implications were frightening on how it could be used to subdue or destroy the Land of Fire.

"Shizune!" she suddenly shouted, standing.

Shizune hurried into the office. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" she answered quickly.

"Get Shikamaru and Shiho from the code breakers corp down to the archives and find out anything you can on a discipline called magic and all the intel we have on the outer continents. Shikamaru is to analyze and compile a report for me on all pertinent information about this. Shiho is to decipher anything written in a foreign tongue and translate it. This is a top-priority project! None of you sleep until the reports are on my desk and I'm sure you've exhausted every resource we have on this subject. Go,"and she slammed her fist down on her desk to drive home her insistence. Shizune disappeared from the doorway.

"Naruto, you, Ino, Inoichi, and Choji are being dispatched to the ruins of Kabuto's base that was destroyed after your rescue. Choji will be instrumental in removing the rubble from the cave-in, and the rest of you will search through everything until you find Kabuto's resources on this magic. Bring everything back here so we can compile the information and try to find a cure for Hinata, as well as attempt to figure out ways to neutralize this different jutsu so it can't be used against us effectively.

"Naruto, there's no time to re-instate you officially, so I'm sorry, you won't be compensated for your involvement in this," she apologized. "Ino, inform Choji of his status. You leave tomorrow morning at daybreak."

Ino and her father quickly left the office, leaving Naruto and Tsunade to face each other. He looked at her and smiled, "Thanks, Obaa-chan."

"Don't thank me, yet. We still may not get the information we need to save her, you know. If Kabuto had anything written, it will be hidden well. You'll have your work cut out for you trying to find what we need," she added.

He turned to leave, but she spoke again, warning," Don't think Ino's out of the woods just because she came up with this information for us. She disobeyed a direct order, and as a medic ninja, she knows what that means. They are a special class of ninja that have to do what they are told, when they are told, or people die if they don't. She understands this all too well, Naruto, and she will be harshly disciplined for her disobedience." The stern look on her face showed him she wouldn't be swayed on the subject.

"I understand your position," was all that he offered back, and he strode out of her office, in a hurry to get ready for the most urgent mission of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone, this is a big chapter, and I guess I should apologize about it now. It's about 95% flashback. Normally, I hate that kind of thing, but something was telling me to write more about Naruto and Hinata's relationship. I felt I hadn't really given much background on it , how they interacted, how they loved each other, etc. Basically, I thought, why should anyone be interested in this story with no investment in their relationship? So, I hope you aren't too upset about it. Next, will be more dark drama, and we'll be getting near the end of the story.**

**I won't be updating for the next several weeks because we are going on a huge vacation. It'll be fun! But don't worry, as soon as I get back, I'll start on another chapter and get it up ASAP. I know how it ends now, it's just getting there that's the thing, you know?**

**So, ja ne, and I don't own Naruto. Duh, again!**

**xxxx**

The team headed into the direction of the destroyed hideout early that morning, as planned. Everyone had expected Naruto to take charge of the mission, but he uncharacteristically declined, wanting to take up the rear position as they traveled. He just had too much on his mind right now, what with the events from last night, and he felt he couldn't be reliable as a team leader. He thought back to yesterday evening as they jumped through the trees toward their destination.......

_As Naruto was preparing his gear and weapons for the mission, there was an unexpected knock at the front door. It was close to the dinner hour, and he couldn't imagine who would be coming to visit at this time of day. _

_He went to the door and opened it, a slight shock coming over him as he stared at the man on the other side. It was Hiashi Hyuuga. _

"_Konban wa, Uzumaki-san," the aging clan head greeted him, unsmiling. " I am sorry to disturb you at this time, as I know you are to leave on a mission in the morning, but I was hoping I could have a word." _

_This was the last person on earth that Naruto wanted to deal with right now, but he stepped back from the threshold to let Hinata's father in, saying, "Sure, whatever. Just make it quick." His brusqueness grated at Hiashi's nerves, but the older man was determined to keep his composure. Naruto motioned for them to sit in the living room, and the young shinobi was grateful that he had nice, new furniture at that moment. _

_Hiashi began, bluntly, "I understand I am probably not one of your favorite people, and on some levels, I don't blame you. However, to put us on a more even field, you are not on the top of my list, either." Naruto was hardly surprised at this revelation, and gave Hiashi a bored look. Hiashi decided to continue. " As difficult as it is for me to do this, I want to extend my heart-felt gratitude to you for taking care of my daug... for taking care of Hinata in her time of need. It is something I dearly wish I was still able to do, but as it appears you have things well in hand, I am at least relieved that she will not want for anything as her current infirmary continues."_

_Naruto just wanted him to get on with it, so instead of blasting the man with every expletive he could muster, he stopped himself and curtly said, "Thank you, Hyuuga-san."_

_Hiashi noted the look in the younger man's eyes, and was mentally giving him brownie points for his uncommon restraint. Naruto had not been known for his diplomacy in his younger years, and it surprised the Hyuuga ruler that there had been this kind of advancement in his maturity. He decided to continue to the other reason he came to the house. _

" _I want to make you an offer, and please, do think this over before you immediately dismiss it and refuse. I would like to offer to take over the compensation of Hinata's nurse, indefinitely, until Hinata no longer requires her services. I require nothing in return, no strings attached. I only want what is best for her. You have proven without a doubt that you are, but I wish to lighten the financial burden. I will reimburse you out of my own private funds, so the clan elders cannot refuse this, if they find out at all. I would be conducting the transactions through either Tenten or Lee, as I cannot allow Neji to become involved in any way. His position in the clan prohibits him from participating, I'm afraid. The punishment would be severe, at least." _

_Upon Hiashi speaking about Neji's possible fate if he were to become involved in Hinata's life, Naruto clenched his fists, and he wished the Hyuuga man would just get out before things got ugly._

_Sensing this, Hiashi stood, and made his way toward the front door, pausing as he opened it. "Please, think about my offer. If you decide to accept, let Tenten know as soon as you do. I appreciate your hospitality, Uzumaki-san. Have a good evening and a profitable mission." And with that, he left......_

Naruto shook himself back to the present, still wondering what to do. He didn't completely believe Hiashi when he said there were no strings attached. Money always has strings, and he knew it. He couldn't trust that. Also, on principle, he wanted nothing to do with anyone from that family ever again. Hinata will be devastated when she finds out about what they've done to her. He wished with all of his might that she were here with him, so he could talk to her and get her input. He had always relied on her to help him figure life out since they had been seeing each other. He trusted her completely.

As the ninja crew continued on their travels, throughout the day Naruto would let his thoughts drift back in time to when he and Hinata first started seeing each other.

_They were standing on the bridge, it was early evening, almost sunset. Hinata had some wildflowers in her hand that she picked at the training grounds earlier, and she was plucking the petals one by one and letting them glide on the humid summer air into the water. She had a faraway look in her eyes and a slight smile. Her heart was finally at peace, and Naruto could recognize it on her face, as that peace reflected his own._

_He moved closer to her, and started playing with her hair that was floating gently in the slight breeze coming off the water. She turned her face and smiled at him, the brightest smile he had ever seen from her, and it made his heart soar, because the smile was for him, and it was full of love. _

_He smiled back, and broke the silence. "You know what?" he asked quietly._

"_What's that?" she asked back, plucking the last of the petals and letting them fall from her fingers. She looked at him, her eyes catching the burning glow of the setting sun. It only served to magnify her startling beauty._

_His eyes held hers, and he answered suddenly, with deep emotion, "You're all I'm ever going to need in my life from now on. Now that you're with me, I don't think air will even be necessary any more." He reached out and stroked her cheek, enjoying the feel of her flawless skin. _

_She let the remains of the wildflowers fall from her hand, and reached up to grasp the hand that was stroking her cheek. Her eyes got misty, and she spoke volumes to his soul with the joyous look on her elfin face. He leaned down and took the tiny face in his hands, noticing that her huge lavender eyes made up most of it. She was so beautiful to him that he feared she wasn't real, that she was a fleeting gift from heaven._

_He leaned farther in to kiss her, barely touching her lips with his. He spoke against her trembling mouth, "You're my personal angel, sent to rescue me from this hell that's been my lonely life." He kissed her deeply, wanting her to feel the emotion that was setting fire to his now-healing heart. The hot tears streaming down her cheeks let him know that she felt the same way, and he felt complete for the very first time in his life......_

With all that had been going on these past months, that wonderful moment seemed so far away. He was so glad he had that memory, though. He would hold it in his heart to spur him on, now that things looked increasingly hopeless. No, he couldn't think like that. Her tiny heart was still beating, she was hanging on, there was still hope that her life could be salvaged. He would never give up, she was too precious.

Although, lately, with her failing health, he found himself wondering what he would do if she did die. What would become of him, _should_ become of him? He knew he was still young, but he would never find another person, another love, another angel in disguise like Hinata. Trying to love anyone other than her would be a betrayal, treasonous. The thought of anyone else possibly taking his surname, bearing his children, sleeping in his bed, sickened him. He couldn't bear the thought of trying again when this had taken so much, when she had waited so long. He would feel like he was throwing her love away, back in her face like a spiteful child if he would try to love again after she was gone. No, he vowed. On my nindo, I will not be with another woman if Hinata doesn't live. And, as always, Naruto meant every word as gospel.

But, the certain loneliness that would follow, going back to that existence that he waited so long to escape, frightened him. After falling in love, and having it be infinitely better than he ever imagined made it all the worse for him to contemplate. Maybe he should just put himself out of his own misery if the worst happened. No, that wouldn't be right....or would it? The lingering pain of her passing and the crushing loneliness, the unfairness of her life being cut short and him living on without her, that could all be avoided. He could just wait until after the funeral, and then.....well, he wouldn't decide until it was necessary.

He frowned darkly and cursed himself. There was no way in hell he was going to let her just die like a sick animal. She was the person who loved him and trusted him, needing him to care for her and keep her safe. And here he was, wallowing in his angst, like she was already in the grave. He cursed again, this time out loud, and everyone in the party turned suddenly to look at him. He waved them on, shaking his head.

"It's getting late," Inoichi piped up, seeing everyone looked a little tired. "Let's stop and make camp so we can eat and have a rest."

Just a little further on, they found the usual place that teams would stop to camp in this area. It was a well known clearing, very near the river's edge, that had a grassy flat spot that was great for tents. They set up camp quickly, and Choji started cooking dinner, salivating the entire time.

When everything was finished, the group crowded around the fire to eat. Everyone, but Naruto, that is. He wasn't hungry and bowed out of eating dinner, which surprised everyone, considering he had an appetite that almost rivaled Choji's on most days. Everyone knew he was hurting inside, though, and left him to himself. He was an adult know, and he would eat when he wanted. He had ration bars in his pack if he needed them.

Naruto went down to the river to think. He went to the 'contemplation boulder', as Kakashi had dubbed it, and layed back on it, watching the glistening stars. He had taken his jacket and shirt off and the rock was still warm from the earlier sunlight, easing his tense muscles.

He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of his life on his heart and mind. He wanted Hinata to be with him now so badly. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine her warm, soft body curled up next to his, with her head on his chest and and their hands entwined. He wanted to wrap her body in a full embrace, he wanted to feel her breath on his skin, and feel her strong heart beat racing against his. He almost could feel her, he was wishing it so hard, but when he opened his eyes, cold reality came rushing back. He shuddered at her ominous absence.

He decided he needed something more to invoke her presence, so he reached in his pack and pulled out a small device. It was the mp3 player that she had given him, and he unwrapped the earbuds from around it and put them on. As he turned on the music, it took him back to the time she gave it to him, and why it meant so much.

_Naruto was nervous. It was Christmas day, and it was his first one with Hinata. Actually, he felt it was his first one ever, as it never held any meaning for him before. He was always alone on Christmas, and for the most part he had hated it when it came around every year. Until this year, that is. _

_She had put up a small tree for him, with lots of lights and ornaments she made herself, and had even sewn a tiny tree skirt to go around the base. It made his apartment look like a warm place for once, and every time she came over, she asked him to turn it on so she could look at it. She couldn't have one in the Hyuuga mansion. Her clan forbade the celebration because they viewed it as a unnecessary display of emotion and a waste of energy and monetary resources. Essentially, it was her first Christmas, too._

_When he heard the quiet knock at his apartment door, he almost jumped out of his skin. As he opened it, Hinata stood there, smiling wide, holding out her arms to hug him. He obliged her, lifting her up in his embrace and walking into the small apartment with her. She had a bag with her, and he noticed a plate of cookies on top. She had baked them over at Sakura's house the day before, and he knew now what she had been up to when she broke their date that day._

_She set the bag down on the table and turned to him, the obvious joy on her small face. He smiled back at her, pulled the tail of her scarf so she came to him and kissed her deeply. "Merry Christmas, angel. I love you," he said quietly, his face remaining near hers in anticipation of another kiss. _

_She reached up and hugged his neck instead, squeezing him tightly. "I love you, too, sweetie. It is going to be a good Christmas, isn't it?"_

"_You bet," he smiled at her. He had a great present for her and he was about to burst to give it to her. He thought he would bounce out of his skin, he was so eager. _

_She giggled warmly, and turned to her bag that was in the floor. She first put the plate of cookies on the table, then took out both a present and a small camera._

_She handed him the package and asked,"Go put this under the tree, will you? I want to take a picture." He complied with her request and she took a few snapshots of the petite tree with the two small, yet grandly wrapped presents under it. _

_She giggled lightly again as she took a few pictures of the tree. Her eyes were sparkling, and her cheeks were still rosy from the cold December air. The deep purple sweater that hugged her curvaceous body made him want to touch her in ways he hadn't attempted yet. He realized that he was watching her like a lovesick puppy, and he wondered what had happened to him all of the sudden. _

_When she was satisfied with the pictures of the tree, she took his hand and led him to his futon bed. "Stay there, I want to set up the camera on the table so we can get a picture together. I want us to have a good picture of our first Christmas," she almost squealed with glee. He had never seen her so giddy before. It was a nice change._

_She took a few minutes to set up the shot the way she wanted and to make sure it was in focus before she set the timer and bounded to the bed with Naruto. They put their arms around each other and they both smiled happily. A few seconds later the flash went off and she jumped off the bed to set up the camera again. She scooted back to the futon, and this time, he pulled her to him and kissed her as the camera clicked. She laughed at his antics, and then got up again to check the pictures, to make sure they would be the way she wanted._

"_These are going to be so good!" she shouted. "I'm going to get copies made for both of us tomorrow. Do you need a frame?" _

_He nodded, and went over to the table to grab a cookie. "Are you ready to open presents now?" he asked, expectantly._

_She walked back over to the futon, and nodded. She couldn't wait for him to open his gift, either. She had put a lot of time into making it perfect, and she was eager to see his reaction._

_He shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth, got the presents and went to sit on the bed next to Hinata. They sat cross-legged, facing each other, each with their present in front of them. "You go first," he grinned at her._

"_Ok," she giggled again. She took the paper off the box, and slowly opened the lid. Her eyes widened and she gasped loudly as she realized what was in the box. It was a necklace, the pendant cast in silver. Her name was spelled in hiragana, and there were angel's wings coming off the sides of the characters. Two small diamonds connected the wings to the word. The lights from the Christmas tree made the pendant glimmer and shine any time the slightest movement was made._

"_Naruto," she gasped again, tears filling her eyes. "It's the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen. Can I put it on?" He nodded and took the necklace out of the box. He walked behind her and she pulled her hair up so that he could work the clasp easier. As he finished with the clasp, he placed a single kiss on the back of her neck and came around to see how it looked on her. _

"_It's perfect," she cooed. "It's the most wonderful present anyone's ever given me. I love it so much, sweetie, thank you." Her eyes were misting over as she held the silver pendant, running her fingers over the angel's wings. She looked up at him, and saw that he suddenly had the camera in his hands, focused on her. _

"_Smile!" he commanded, and he shot several pictures of her with her new gift. She was obviously very happy with it and so he was very proud of himself. _

_She patted where he had been sitting on the futon, and said, "Now it's your turn. Come on!" She could barely contain her excitement for what was to come next. _

"_Alright," he answered, and he took up the present and sat down again in front of her. He unwrapped it, and opened the box. Inside was a new mp3 player, orange, of course, and a set of ear buds, the kind that stay in your ears well. "Wow," he said, very surprised. "I've always wanted one of these. Um, the thing is, Hinata, I don't have any way of downloading the music. Do you think Shikamaru will let me do it on his computer?"_

_Hinata reassured him, "Don't worry about it. I've already pre-loaded a lot of songs on there for you. I put on quite a few that I knew you liked already, and then I put many more on that I liked that reminded me of us." She took the player from him and scrolled to a certain song, keeping it on pause. "There's one song in particular that I want you to listen to now. It reminded me of what you said to me last summer on the bridge. You know, when you told me that I was all that you needed, and you thought that even air wouldn't be necessary any more?" He nodded, confused. She handed him the ear pieces. "Here, just listen." _

_He put the ear buds in and started the song. (What played for him was No Air by Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown-you can hear it on YouTube if you don't know it.) He let the song play, listening to the words intently. In hearing the lyrics, he became more confused and a little worried. What was Hinata trying to tell him? The song ended, and he looked at her with questions in his eyes._

" _I wanted to give you that song for when we are away from each other on missions," she looked down sadly. She sighed a little and then looked back into his eyes. "Naruto, I've been sent on a mission by both the Hokage and my clan to Wave. I have to go with a Hyuuga detail, as it is a diplomatic mission. The details are nothing you'd be interested in, it's political. Um, the thing is, the mission is expected to take at least one month, maybe seven or eight weeks, depending on how things go. After tomorrow, we won't be able to see each other for a long time, and I'm worried about you being here alone. I wanted you to have that song, so you know that I need you, too, and it's going to be hurting me just as much to be away from you for that long. When you miss me, just play that song, and know that I'm thinking about you and wishing you were there with me, too. I love you, and I don't want you to ever feel alone again, even when we have to be apart." She finished with tears in her eyes, fighting the cascade of emotion coming over her._

_He pulled her into him, cuddling her and rubbing her arm gently. "Hey, don't worry, Hinata, we'll both be fine," he said quietly. He honestly wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. _

"_You-you'll wait for me?" she asked, looking at him with sad eyes that tore at his already wounded heart. "If you find someone else while I'm gone, I won't blame you," she choked. _

_He took her face in his hands to hold her eyes to his. "Hinata, there is not another person in this whole world that could ever take your place in my heart. Don't ever think that. I need to be with you and only you. As long as you want to be in my life, you **will** be my life. I'll miss you so much, but it's not enough to drive me to another woman, not when I know you're waiting for me, too. I love you, angel. Go and do your job, and try not to worry about me. The song and your pictures we take today will get me through. I'll probably get a mission or two in there to distract me, too. Everything will be fine, you'll see." And in reassuring her, he reassured himself, as well. _

_She hugged him tightly for a long time, holding him as if he would float away forever if she let go. Then, she unwrapped herself from him, got up from the bed, and picked the camera up again. "Let's take some more pictures of each other," she said, trying to sound happy. "I'm going to need a lot of them in order to get through this." They took poses of each other until the camera batteries ran out......._

The song finished playing again. He had listened to it at least four times while he was recalling that day. After all of the reflecting he did, he was only more worried about Hinata. She didn't have their song to play, and she didn't have copies of the photos in her wallet to look at. She was alone, in a dark place, dying. She had to be frightened, she had to be losing her mind with fear right now. He was helpless against the force that held her, and he was too emotionally exhausted to even be angry right now.

Tomorrow they would be at the destroyed bunker that housed Kabuto's laboratories. If they didn't find a way to stop what was happening to her, he didn't know what to do. He sat up on the rock, put his hands over his eyes and just sat there letting his brain become numb for a few moments. Doubt was creeping over him, and he disliked the feeling. He needed sleep, that would fix it. If he could just sleep for a few hours, then he'd have a better outlook on the situation.

He got up and grabbed his clothes all in one movement. He looked up at the sky one last time, praying to whomever was listening up above to give he and Hinata a break, and let things get better. A shooting star streaked across the cosmic curtain overhead. Maybe it was an answer, but he didn't normally believe in those sorts of things. Deep in his heart, he hoped he was wrong, though. He walked back to camp, holding onto that tiny shred of hope with both hands.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi, everyone, I'm finally back from vacation. Lots of fun, and 6,424 miles of driving, and we're home at last. **

**This chapter is pretty short, and I'm sorry about that, but I wanted to get something out since it's been a while since I've updated. It's mainly more character development, but I like the way it turned out, anyway. I am on the way to getting the final chapters planned out the way I want them. **

**Also, this chapter is pretty hard and depressing. Re-reading it, it makes me think I'm a pretty morose individual, but yeah, I guess that's me. Things will get pretty hard-core from here on out, I'm thinking, so hang on tight. This story is not for the meek, as I like writing scathing drama, if you couldn't tell. I'm considering doing a Samurai Champloo fic after this one, just so I can go whole hog on the angst and roughness of humanity.**

**I'm really hoping that some of you will comment. I know people are reading this, just few people are saying whether they love it or hate it. So, if you have a moment, tell me what you think. Reviews are a valuable tool, so don't be shy, even if it's harsh criticism. **

**Thanks, and remember, I'm getting ready to start the next chapter, so try not to be too disappointed with this short bit.**

The group awoke and broke camp early to get a quick start. Naruto gratefully accepted a hot cup of coffee from Choji and chugged it down, not caring that it was still piping hot. He slung the drippings behind him to dry the mug out a little, threw it in his pack, and helped Choji finish putting out the remaining coals where the fire had been last night.

The four teammates were off again, all of them running at a break-neck pace in order to close the time gap left by the evening's rest as best they could. This time Naruto was ahead of everyone, checking the map one last time in order to understand the location of the defunct hideout. No one tried to stop him from going ahead, they knew it would be pointless, and they couldn't keep up anyway. Naruto pushed onward, using shadow clones as scouts. He was his own team when he needed to be, and on some of his past missions, it wound up working out better that way.

Around mid-morning, Naruto came within range of the old secret base. He sent out three clones, one to walk straight to the base with no cover to draw any enemy fire, and two to secretly scout the perimeter and apprehend any of Kabuto's followers that might be hanging around still. The rest of the team caught up while the scouting patrol was deployed, and when they returned without incident, everyone went to the ruins and started working.

Choji used his expansion jutsu to enlarge his already huge hands, and he began scooping away much of the rubble, exposing the maze-like bunker underneath. The others used poles from trees they cut down to shore up the crumbling ceiling in places where it looked unstable. It was hot, hard work, and in a few hours, they all decided to break for lunch. Choji couldn't be happier, but Naruto convinced him to just suck up a few ration bars instead of making one of his signature six course meals. Ino had to laugh, when after twelve ration bars, Choji finally came up empty. He had even taken his shoes off to make sure he hadn't stashed any bars there.

After lunch, the team really got down to business. They searched from room to room, looking through every scroll and bound book they could find, searching for foreign writing and anything that looked like a book on teaching the magic incantations. They searched the walls and floors for loose bricks and false panels, finding a few, but turning up no secret stashes that included books of any kind. They destroyed every piece of furniture, looking for hidden compartments and false bottoms in drawers. Of course, there were things hidden, but nothing written, mostly just small containers of what looked like failed experiments. Many of them were disgusting to look at, and Ino had to walk away a few times in order to keep her stomach from rebelling.

At the end of the third day of searching, the team finally felt that they had exhausted every nook and cranny that could hide what they so desperately sought. They had only recovered about five books that qualified for what they were looking for, and they all worried over whether they had anything of use or not. Kabuto had made no notes or journals that mentioned anything about using magic, so they were blind to what they either did or didn't have. Naruto was doing his best not to feel frustrated, but he just couldn't kick the feeling that there was something missing, that they didn't really find it, and that what they had would yield no usable information at all.

When they were about to leave, Naruto spoke up suddenly, "You guys go on ahead. I just thought of one more thing I want to check out. Get back to Konoha as fast as you can. Don't worry, I'll probably catch up in no time, anyway." The others nodded in agreement, eager to get home with what they had found. They sped away, leaving Naruto to himself.

He made ten shadow clones and ordered, "Everyone, I need to you crawl into the ventilation system and anything you find there, bring to me. Even if it looks insignificant, I want to take it home with us. Make it quick, we're running out of time."

The group of clones scattered, and within minutes, they were all back, but only one held anything. In his hands was a locked box with a handle for carrying. The key was no where to be found, but the box was weighty, so Naruto knew there was something inside of it. "Good work, guys," he praised, and then he dispelled the group of clones and took off after his team.

Soon Naruto caught up with the other three ninja, and then convinced them to let him have the rest of the materials they confiscated and go on to Konoha. Naruto could run almost indefinitely without rest, and he couldn't bear to spend another night doing nothing. He was worried about Hinata, and he wanted the research team to get working on the discovered materials immediately. So, he went on, running for almost twenty-four hours straight. He walked into Tsunade's office, handed his findings to Shizune, gave his report, and went home as quickly as he could.

Exhausted, he walked into the house, a welcoming smell coming from the kitchen. "Hi, I'm home, Nerene'," he announced wearily.

"Oh, Uzumaki-sama, welcome home," Nerene' greeted cheerily. "You're just in time for dinner."

"Thanks," Naruto replied. "How is Hinata? Is there any change?"

Nerene' looked down, a defeated look on her face. "I hate to say this, but she is getting worse. Tsunade-sama changed her medicine to try to keep her going, but it didn't make much of an improvement. I don't know how much longer she can hang on. She just is fading away. I've been doing everything I can, but she's losing the battle. You should go to her, spend some time with her. I'll bring your dinner in to you." Naruto noticed a small tear sneaking down the nurse's cheek as she turned back to the stove.

Naruto cursed under his breath and quickly walked back to Hinata's room. His hand gripped the doorknob, and he noticed himself shaking. He was afraid to open the door, afraid of what he would see behind it. She needed him, though, and it drove him to push the door open. When he saw her, he caught his breath at the sight of her.

Hinata was laying there, as always, her eyes fixed on the wall in front of her. The only thing that had changed was that she was noticeably frailer, her face more grey and sunken, and her breathing was labored now. He knew now what Nerene' was talking about. It looked like if a good wind came up, she would blow away like a soap bubble.

He walked to the side of the bed slowly, taking in the sight of her pitiable form. His heart ached yet again from looking at her, and he fought to hold back the anguish that weighed heavily on him. He reached out and stroked her long hair, gasping back sobs that were choking the very life out of him. He scooped her fragile body from the bed and held her close to him, relishing even this one-sided contact with her. He had thought, that over time with her in this condition, that he would start to love her less. He didn't want that, of course, but without her being able to talk to him or touch him or love him back—well, he just didn't know if even he was strong enough to endure loving her this long like this.

He cuddled her close to him, like a child with its favorite doll, and whispered, "I love you," over and over, like a mantra that he was repeating for penance. But, he meant it, it wasn't something he did out of any kind of guilt. He loved her just as much as he ever did, and his need for her only grew. After walking around with her in his arms for a few minutes, he decided to sit back on the bed with her. Her head rested on his shoulder and he talked to her about the mission to save her. He pretended that she was answering him, and though it made him feel a little crazy, at the same time, it calmed him a little. He hugged her tight again and kissed her cold cheek. That's when the realization hit him, that she was all but dead, and he was still just as powerless to help her, even though he dug through rubble and dust and spent days away from her to find the answer. What if it was all for nothing?

He looked down at her still form against him, and he bit his lower lip to stop the tears that threatened to flow from him. And that's when it happened. He openly cursed the day he fell in love with her and the fact that he couldn't just let her go, let someone else shoulder the burden, allow someone who didn't care about her decide her fate. But then he immediately loathed himself for ever thinking that way, for giving up even for a small moment. He had betrayed her, anyway, after all his vows to never do such a thing. How could he? He made a promise to her, to himself. But the fatigue of caring for someone who's condition never improves over time took its toll on even him.

Naruto put Hinata gently back in bed, left her room and walked into the back yard, where he laid back on the dewy grass, pressed his fists to his eyes, and started screaming. His mind and heart finally couldn't contain his emotions any longer and he let out all the hurt, anger, fear, anguish, bitterness, and despair from his over taxed spirit. He screamed for him and what he was enduring and he screamed for her and her torture and solitude. He screamed until the red chakra of the Kyuubi started to rise against his skin, and then out of fear of hurting anyone, he stopped, collapsing back to the soft earth. He coughed and choked from the exertion, until finally he rolled over and started gagging, his stomach trying to empty itself, too, though it was virtually empty. He wished he could say that he felt better after that, but it wasn't the case. He pushed himself up to a kneeling position, his hands covering his face.

Nerene' had watched the entire scene from the doorway to the back porch. She had come to see if he wanted dinner, not realizing what she would be walking into. The sight that she held worried her and, of course, scared her quite a bit as well. Now that he had calmed down, she looked upon him with knowing sadness in her eyes. She knew that he finally understood the situation they were in, that there just wasn't any way things were going to get any better. She felt he might finally be on the road to accepting Hinata's inevitable death. Nerene' had come to really like Naruto, and she could tell that it was almost impossible for him to comprehend that one day soon, Hinata would cease to be in his life, and that he would have to consider how he would go on without her. She wished it could be otherwise, though. Even though she didn't really 'know' Hinata, she knew that if someone like Naruto loved her this much, she must be the most special person she ever could have known. _Such a tragedy, _she thought. _Young love so pure cut short like that._


	8. Chapter 8

_Hinata lay there in the darkness, writhing in agony as the evil magic wormed it's horror illusions into her mind. She had no lucid moments any more, and she no longer had the strength to fight back against the onslaught. She had clung to her love for Naruto to get her through, but even that small crack of hope was closed to her at this point. She was almost completely stark-raving crazy, and she screamed and thrashed at the visions being forced on her, losing her strength a little more with every thrash. The end was nearing for her, and she had died a million times already in her visions, so she would likely never know when real death came to claim her._

Naruto had been summoned by Tsunade, and he rushed into the Hokage's office, slamming the door on his way in, making the occupants of the room jump. He took no notice, and inquired, "Did you find anything? Was there anything useful in the books we found? Please tell me you found some way to help her!"

The sober looks on all of their faces told the story. He couldn't believe it, it couldn't be true. He had tried so hard, done all he could to save her. But, he couldn't save her. Ever...He covered his head with his hands, standing stone still, disbelieving what was happening to his life and Hinata's.

"Even the box?" he asked quietly. "What was in the box we found?" He closed his eyes, waiting for someone to give him an answer. He didn't even know why he cared, since it wouldn't help his girlfriend.

"It was just money," Shizune offered. "Lots of it, but nothing more. It looks like it was the bulk of Kabuto's operating funds. Naruto...I.. I'm so sorry there wasn't any information for you. I wish, so much, that we could have given you good news today." And she sighed heavily, looking down at the floor, trying not to cry in front of the assembly of people.

"It's ok, nee-chan," he whispered. "I know you did everything you could. It's not your fault, or anyone else here. It's just the fault of that snake fucker, Kabuto. I hope that shit sucker is burning on the devil's personal spit in hell, waiting to be eaten. I just wish I could have gotten my hands on him first, so I could have been the one to send him down there." He closed his eyes in grief, and flopped down in a chair in front of Tsunade's desk. It was over, and he couldn't imagine even moving right now, much less going home to face Hinata and then watch her die.

"Everyone, I have an idea, but it's a little, well, um, crazy," Sakura spoke up suddenly. They all turned to look at her expectantly, and after a few seconds she decided to continue. "Well, since she is going to die, anyway, then I think we should let her." Everyone gasped and Naruto came out of his chair with the scariest look on his face. She held her hands up, and yelled, "Wait! Let me finish before you go all crazy! Look, once the body shuts down and the heart stops beating, then the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen. Then, it too shuts down slowly until all brain waves cease and then a person is considered truly dead. Now, if we can wait until this happens, it would most certainly have to break that spell thing, right? Then, we can revive her, and in theory, she should be ok. We would just have to time it right, so we would still have a chance to revive her without damage to her organs. It's a long-shot, but don't you think this might be her only chance?"

"Oh, Sakura, that's actually a good idea," replied Ino. "Dad and I can monitor her brain, and as soon as we see that the spell is gone, we can alert you and you can start the revival protocol. With all of us working together, certainly this could work." Ino looked around at everyone with a newly hopeful look on her face.

"Obaa-chan, are they serious?" Naruto asked, skeptical. "Could it really work, or is it just a silly theory? Don't get my hopes up, dammit. I don't know how much more I can take."

"Naruto, I can't guarantee you anything, and so I won't sugarcoat the reality that she could wind up dead anyway. But, what Sakura is proposing is not out of the realm of possibility. It has a chance, albeit small, to work. My only concern is that Hinata's body, in its current state, isn't strong enough for a revival protocol to be successful. She may come back, she may not. All of us will be there to help her come back, though, and I am willing to try it." Tsunade gave him a look that bordered on a warning and a glimmer of hope. " I won't make the decision, though, as you now have the final word on her care. It is up to you. Are you willing to try this one last thing to save her, or will you let her go?"

Naruto sat for a moment, lost in thought, the options twirling in his mind. Everyone in the room expected him to take up the offer and run with it without thinking twice. Something had changed in him, and it made them all a little sad. But, they all were getting to be old enough to know that life will chew you up and spit you back out if you live long enough. That's just the way it is, and no one escapes tragedy forever. It always catches up with you somewhere along the line. Unfortunately, Naruto had received the lion's share his whole life, and all of them were thinking that he deserved at least this one miracle. He was too good of a person to be shit on by fate forever.

The man in question looked around the room, and answered quietly, "Ok, we'll do it. I don't even know if I should bother hoping it will work, but I broke my promise and gave up on her last night, and I owe her this. If I have to kill myself to get her healthy, I would do it. Set it up, I'll bring her here this afternoon. It won't be long before she slips away, with or without our help." He never got that signature sparkle in his eyes, or put on his trademark foxy smile. He just got up and left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Everyone that was left turned to look at the Hokage, waiting for instruction. She sighed heavily, fearing that Naruto was changed irrevocably, and the wonderful, annoying, sunny, exasperating person that never quit and always was positive was dead forever. She stood, placing her hands on the desk in front of her for support. She dug her nails in and announced, "Girls, get everything we need ready in emergency room 5. All of us will take soldier pills to make sure we maintain enough chakra to get this done. We can't fail at this, ladies. We just can't. Get something to eat, pray to whomever you feel will listen, and meet back at ER 5 by 2:00."

Shizune, Sakura, and Ino literally flew from the office, leaving Tsunade to herself. She sat back down and swiveled her chair to look out of the window over the Konoha skyline. "I'm sorry, gaki," she whispered to no one. "If this doesn't work, I know we'll lose you, too." She reached down to the hidden compartment of her desk and pulled out the half empty sake bottle, then proceeded to drink the last of it. This was going to be one hell of a day.

Naruto walked home. He didn't run, he didn't jog, he just walked. He couldn't make himself hurry, and he didn't know why. Well, sure he did. Today was the end. It was either the end of Hinata's torturous ordeal, or it was the end of their lives. Yes, he was certain he would kill himself now if she didn't survive. He knew it when he broke down yesterday evening. He just wasn't interested in existing in a life without her. What was the point? To keep being a killing machine for the village until he was too old to be any use? To sit around for decades remembering her, wanting her, missing her? What the hell was that all about? He had no faith in a higher being looking out for him, he had no faith in humanity to help him pick up the pieces, he had no faith in anything but her and their love. And if he no longer had that, then there was nothing. No noble reasons to keep on breathing, no altruistic motives to pass on his knowledge and strength to other generations, no hope for the future or what could be. So, he devised a plan to off himself, something that the Kyuubi couldn't even save him from, and he held it like a secret toy in the back of his mind.

Still, he walked back to the house, greeted Nerene' and told her to get Hinata ready to be transported back to the hospital. When he noted her quizzical look, he wound up telling her the entire plan. She agreed that it could be a viable option, smiled at him warmly, and went to Hinata's room to prepare her.

While Nerene' was getting her ready, Naruto called Tenten and told her to tell Hiashi thanks, but his assistance wouldn't be necessary. He also told her to tell him that Hinata would be dead today. Tenten started crying on the phone. Naruto apologized to her for dropping it on her so bluntly, but he figured today would be a good day to give the clan head his answer. She said some kind words to him that he really didn't pay any attention to, and hung up.

The nurse peeked her head into the kitchen from the hallway and announced that they were ready to go. Naruto pushed himself off of the arm of the couch that he was perched on and went to retrieve his catatonic girlfriend one last time. He stretched his arms above his head and cracked his neck to get the kinks out. It was a long trip back to the hospital. On his way down the hall, he dodged into his room and picked his mp3 player off of the dresser. Depending on the wait time, he may need it.

When he finally reached Hinata's room, she was bundled in a blanket, ready to be carried. Naruto lifted her without effort, and cradled her to him. He stood there for a moment, took a deep breath, and walked out of the house and back toward the hospital, dread in every step he took. Nerene' walked a few paces behind them, carrying a bag of things they may need before the 'experiment' would commence. She and Naruto said nothing to each other or anyone else as they proceeded.

When they finally arrived, the hospital staff, headed by Sakura, were waiting for them. The nurses took the frail girl from Naruto's arms and Sakura re-filled them with a warm, sisterly hug. She held him for a few moments, waiting for him to break, but he never did. He held her back, but it had no feeling behind it. Sakura pulled away from him slowly, looking at Nerene' with a face full of questions. The nurse shook her head quietly, and Sakura knew what she meant. He was done breaking down, he had no more tears to cry. Either that, or he was saving them for if her idea didn't work.

Sakura looked at Naruto, took his hand, and said, "Come on. I have a comfy chair set up for you in her room. You can be with her the whole time." He looked at her gratefully, and followed her into the annoyingly sterile room.

The skilled nurses already had an IV running, and they were scurrying around, prepping Hinata for the event to come. Hinata was having a worse time breathing than before. It seemed the trip to the hospital was very hard on her already compromised system. Normally, they would have put her on a ventilator, but they wanted her death to take its course, as unnatural as that seemed to them, so they let her go without one.

Naruto took her tiny hand in his and held it to his chest, worry written on his face. This was so hard, watching her, not being able to give her any help at all. He hated just being a spectator at the best of times, and just sitting there watching everyone work was grating on his nerves.

Right at 2:00 Tsunade and the rest of the ninja who were asked to help showed up in the emergency room. They were briefed on what was happening currently, and Naruto got up from his seat next to Hinata and walked out to talk to Ino and her father.

He pulled them both aside, and asked them,"I was hoping, if everything goes well today and Hinata lives, if you would do her a huge favor. When the spell is broken, and before she comes-to, could you maybe erase all that's happened to her from her memory? I know it's a lot to ask, but she's not going to have a normal life if she remembers all that she's been through. I don't want her to remember the spell and what's going on there, I don't want her to remember the rape. I will tell her that those things happened, but I don't want the memories suddenly drumming up in her mind through her life again. If you can do all that, will you? She's been through so much. I just want her to be able to be happy after this."

Inoichi looked at Naruto solemly, "I don't know if that's a good idea. It's unethical, according to our clan's tenants."

Ino scowled at her father and smacked his arm. " Screw the rules, Daddy. This is major stuff she's going to have to deal with. Naruto's right. She'll never be normal again if we don't do something to fix her. Who knows what damage has been done! Naruto, we'll do it, don't you worry. As long as you promise to fill her in that those things did happen, we'll make sure she'll never have to re-live any of it. I promise."

"Thank you so much, Ino. Really," he said with a genuine smile. But just then, that smile was wiped away by the ominous sound of the alarms beeping on Hinata's heart monitor. They rushed back to the room, and Tsunade looked at him with barely subdued panic.

"It's starting," she announced flatly.

**WHOOPS! Cliffhanger no jutsu! I'm so sorry, I can't believe I did that to you, either!**

**The next chapter is the big climax, and I started freaking out when I thought about writing it. Am I lame, or what? I know what I want to happen, but I'm not so sure how to get there and make it even slightly believeable. Eeek! I have to do a little meditating before I write again. **

**This chapter came flowing out like a waterfall, and I can't believe I wrote it so fast. Was it ok? Boy, I hope so. It seems the less I think, the better I write, sometimes. Anyway, hope you are enjoying the ride so far. I'll do my best to crank out the next chapter soon, but I want it to be clean and concise, so hang in there with me. I'm working on it!**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Well, finally, here it is. I really do apologize for cutting you guys off in that last chapter. I hope you understand. Enjoy. I can only hope it lives up to your expectations. REVIEW! I'm still learning how to weave story jutsu! Oh, and there's at least one more chapter coming, so stay tuned...**_

Inoichi and his daughter pushed past Naruto, taking their places beside the head of the dying kunoichi. Everyone scurried to where they knew they were supposed to be, their roles already defined. Everyone, that is, except for Naruto. He stood stone still just outside the war zone filled with medics, barely even daring to breathe. It wasn't just that he realized he had no active role in Hinata's rescue, it was also that he was so frightened of the event taking place before him that he was virtually paralyzed.

The events unfolding around him suddenly seemed surreal, like a craftily woven genjutsu. But this was no illusion, no fabricated dream meant to disable or delay an adversary. This was real life, raw and harsh and mesmerizing, like a brutal car wreck. For all the bloodshed, death and loss Naruto had witnessed, and yes, been responsible for in his life, nothing he had experienced had prepared him for this type of event. Though he had been bracing himself for weeks for what ,even to him, appeared to be inevitable, he found it to be cold comfort at this moment.

He watched, as Tsunade barked out orders to her team, as Sakura and Shizune monitored screens and dutifully notified the Hokage the status and vital signs of her patient. His gaze shifted briefly to the two Yamanakas, perched like sleeping sentinels at Hinata's head, patrolling her mindscape without pause in order to find the first breach in the spell's prison. And yet, though he watched, with eyes as unblinking as Hinata's had been, the movements and noises of the people in front of him held no meaning whatsoever. The entire scene had become eerily alien in his panic as his mind continued to blank out from the adrenaline, exhaustion, and sensory overload he was currently experiencing.

As the stress settled slightly, he was able to focus, in a small way. He focused on her, looking at her face intently, attempting to will her with the strength of his soul to come back to him. Even though he wasn't the one dying, life flashed before his eyes, but it was not just his own. He saw flashes in his memory of his girlfriend, first of her when they were young and barely friends. He noticed, this time around, how she looked at him, how her demeanor changed when he was near her, how her strength grew in the smattering of moments they spent together back then. Then he flashed on their blooming relationship, the covert smiles when no one was looking, the tell-tale blush when he reached for her hand as he made his decision to attempt to pursue their relationship, and then another round of their time on the bridge in the midst of the golden sunset. Next, he remembered their silly fun and tickle fights, the dates after missions, the holidays and birthdays, the passionate kisses and soft caresses, her beautiful opal eyes pouring love into his once-empty spirit every moment they were together. She was the sun that he gratefully revolved around, pouring light and warmth into his life. Without her, his already dim little world would be snuffed into eternal frigid darkness.

His melancholy reverie was shattered by the suddenly slowing cadence of the heart monitor next to Sakura. Her heart's decline was sharp and steadily decreasing. Each beat he held his breath tighter, begging for another one to come. Each subsequent beep was exponentially slower than its predecessor. Naruto's eyes widened in terror, the pallor of his skin faded to stark white as he listened to her fading, slowly but surely to the end of her existence.

Then, as he said her name in a breathless whisper, the monitor flat-lined.

Before anyone else in the room knew what was happening, Naruto had dove toward his girlfriend, almost turning over the gurney she was on. He was clamoring toward her, screaming her name in such a furor that it was nearly unintelligible. He scrambled up on the wobbly surface with Hinata, grabbing at her like a rabid animal, screaming and sobbing, with his hands finally grasping at her limp shoulders. He accidentally kicked Shizune in the face, knocking her backwards.

"Naruto, get back dammit!" Tsunade demanded, shoving at him, and yet trying not to hurt her patient at the same time. "Sakura! Get him out of here!"

Sakura hurtled the gurney, turned and wrestled her arms through Naruto's from behind, eventually putting him in a full nelson hold. She had noticed his eyes had turned red and his fangs had sprouted. " OH NO YOU DON'T," she bellowed at him. "You put that thing away RIGHT now! We can do this, Naruto. Please, stop. We can bring her back if you just let us! Stop being a jackass and CALM DOWN!" During the final two words, she literally flung him through the open door. He skidded to a stop and crashed against the nurse's station, with limbs flailing in all directions. She turned and rushed back to her spot amongst the ninja healers. Tsunade was stimulating Hinata's heart with chakra at certain intervals to keep it viable, but not yet revive the dying woman.

"Yamanaka, what is her status?" the Hokage asked quickly. "Her brain waves are failing, Hokage-sama," Inoichi answered. "We should be seeing a collapse in the prison...just about...NOW." He smiled triumphantly, continuing to monitor the unraveling of the evil spell.

"I want all traces of the magic to dissipate before we revive," Tsunade commanded. "I don't want this thing to suddenly make a repeat performance. Shizune, ready the epinephrine, Sakura, you restore her liver and kidneys, Ino and Inoichi, you repair any damage to her brain and fulfill Naruto's request when you feel we're ready."

Ino and her father sat and watched the spell unravel like a poorly knit sweater. As it unwound around Hinata's mind, the strings of magic dissolved into nothingness. When the prison was about a third dissolved, the images and illusions that plagued Hinata escaped and started to dissolve, as well. Ino gasped in horror at the few she saw. Her father forced her out of the Hyuuga's mind, in order to spare his daughter the nightmares she would surely have. He would have to endure, unfortunately, in order to monitor the spell's destruction.

Ino opened her eyes, shaking and crying at the images still burned into her memory. Shizune reached out for her with a shocked look, but Ino shook her head to dissuade the Hokage's assistant from asking her any questions about what she saw. The look on her face told Shizune to back off, and she turned her attention back to her duties. The elder mental ninja suddenly started to gag and wretch at the current vision he was being subjected to. Ino instinctively retrieved a bedpan just in time for Inoichi to vomit. " Kami, how did she live this long, having to deal with this all these months? It's unbearable" he wailed. He maintained his connection through sheer will, because every fiber of his being demanded he break it for the sake of his sanity.

Naruto had silently re-joined them, warm tears flowing from his tired blue eyes. Sakura had turned down the irritating pitch of the flat-lined heart monitor, but it continued in the background, reminding him that Hinata was technically dead, no matter how the medics wanted to spin it. Thinking on the mentalist's reactions and words about the spell's visions, his heart ached for the woman he loved. He hunched over, leaning on the wall for much-needed support. He wished he would just go numb already. He didn't want to feel anything anymore.

Inoichi suddenly let out a sigh of relief. "The spell is completely gone from her mind. Ino, hurry and come back in, let's repair the damage and start cleaning up her memory. Tsunade-sama, it's time." 

"Good, let's do this, ladies," she rallied. "Shizune, the epi, quick!" Scrunching her face in distaste, Shizune did as instructed and plunged the epinephrine hypodermic firmly into Hinata's still heart. Naruto turned his head sharply, disturbed by the horrifying treatment being administered.

Sakura turned the heart monitor back up, and worriedly announced, "No change, master. Should I assist you at the heart and lungs?"

"Yes, Sakura, I need you to hit her with a large chakra burst at five second intervals until I say to stop," the Godaime instructed. The younger kunoichi did as instructed, Nartuo flinching at every burst of chakra, and soon a few blips were heard on the monitor, though they were erratic and spaced too far apart. Sakura tried another round, and this time she got the desired effect. Hinata's heartbeat, though not as strong as normal, became fairly steady. A few moments went by, and then they started to slightly falter again. Everyone held their breath in the room, but a natural rhythm finally resumed.

"Naruto," Tsunade called gently, "come over here and try to call to her. It may help. Just don't touch her while we're working, or you'll be getting a charge, too, if we have to resume the shocks." The weary man walked over quietly, and looked down at the slack and lifeless face of his love. "H-h-h-ina," he began. He stopped short and cleared his throat. He was slightly embarrassed at his behavior in the heat of the moment earlier, as well as having still been crying just a while ago. He tried again, louder and stronger, "Hinata-chan, wake up, angel. Hinata! I have fresh cinnamon rolls for you! Would you like some?"

"Keep it up, Naruto," Ino interrupted. She's recovering, it's just there was a lot of damage to her consciousness. Daddy's almost done sorting through and discarding the bad memories, she'll be awake in just a few moments, I would think."

Hinata's heartbeat had grown stronger, so Sakura had abandoned the chakra pulses and went back to repairing the woman's degraded internal systems. Knowing this, Naruto took Hinata's hand in his and held it to his warm lips, kissing away the cold of death. Then he moved it to his cheek, and holding it there, wound his fingers through hers. He remained in that position while softly calling her name and tempting her with her favorite pastry. Shizune ran to and from the nurse's station, returning with a scented jar candle in her grip. She snapped her fingers over the wick, releasing a small amount of fire jutsu, and not long after, the warm, earthy smell of cinnamon filled the room.

"I'm finally finished," Inoichi announced with relief. "Her mind is in order and working well. From what I saw in there, she will eventually make a full recovery. Just give her time and love, and you'll see the old Hinata again, I'm certain of it." Naruto nodded to the elder Yamanaka, and smiled warmly, gratitude written all over his face.

Suddenly, the revived woman stirred, and she lightly squeezed Naruto's hand. "Mmmmm," she hummed, though her voice was gravelly and weak from months of disuse. "Naruto, did you make breakfast?"

"No, angel, it's just a candle, but I can get you some later, if you like," he answered, trying not to let his voice waver with the emotion that was overflowing him. He bent down and gently kissed her cheek. It was so warm, compared to what it was, and he sighed at the heavenly feel of her skin.

She opened her eyes slightly, and looked at him with concern. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Are you alright? "You've been crying..." she trailed off, weakened by the effort to speak.

"Don't worry, babe, I'm alright, I promise," he answered at her ear this time. "It's just been a crazy day. I"ll tell you all about it later. You go back to sleep."

"Mmm-kay," she answered weakly. He put her hand down on her chest, taking care not to disturb her. He started to turn to walk out and get some desperately needed fresh air, when she called out quietly, "Naruto?"

"I'm here, angel, what is it?" he answered quickly.

"I love you."

He choked back more tears, using all of his strength not to emotionally collapse. " Love you, too, Hinata. So, so much." His hands clenched his heaving chest, his eyes smiling with his mouth for the first time in months.

She grinned dreamily to herself, and her chest rose and fell with a contented sigh as she easily drifted back to sleep and much-deserved pleasant dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

_**LEMON ALERT! **_

**I don't own the Naruto franchise, and I'm sure you're shocked by that.**

Hinata awoke with a start.

_The fight... I was hit in the head and bleeding...Naruto screaming... he couldn't get to me in time. Backup wasn't due to arrive yet, he got the jump on us._

_Kabuto. But, it wasn't exactly. It was Orochimaru **wearing** Kabuto? It looked like both of them. Eeew._

Her head was splitting, her chest was aching, and she was still very groggy. She tried to move and sit up, and realized that she couldn't. Her body was very weak, and when she lifted her arm, she gasped in shock at how thin and frail it was.

She looked over in the dim light of the hospital room and saw her boyfriend sprawled out in an easy chair. He was sleeping, drool hanging out of one corner of his mouth, and his mp3 player hooked to his ears. She grinned at the sight. He was here for her, staying with her. Now, if she could only remember what had happened after the battle with Kabuto.

She shifted in the bed, trying to sit up. It was painful, and she was so weak, she couldn't move much at all. She looked, and saw that there was a button to alert a nurse, so she pushed it, hoping someone would come in soon. To her surprise, the Hokage rushed in to the room, with Shizune close behind.

"Thank goodness," the godaime whispered. "We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up." She smiled down at Hinata, taking her wrist to check her pulse. Shizune moved around to listen to her lungs with her stethoscope. "You seem to be doing much better," the younger medic beamed with delight. "I'm so glad. Naruto will be thrilled that you're awake on your own. It looks like the worst is over."

"Can you help me sit up, please?" the bedridden woman asked. " I can't seem to push myself up in the bed, and I'm uncomfortable."

"I'll do even better than that," Tsunade answered. "Here, let's go out to the lobby so we can talk. I don't want to wake Naruto right now. He's had a tough time, and that way we can talk freely, and I'll answer all of your questions." With that, she lifted Hinata from the bed and placed her gently in a wheelchair. Hinata's eyes widened with amazement as she caught a glimpse of her reed-like legs. She could tell, even with Tsunade's immense strength, that she was significantly lighter than she felt she should be. She looked up at the blonde leader's face in worry, looking for some kind of reassurance. She found what she was looking for, as Tsuande replied, "I'll tell you everything you want to know. I won't keep any secrets. It's going to take a few moments to get to everything, though."

Hours later, Tsunade finally finished detailing the dramatic events of the last nine months. Hinata's face was soaked with tears, mainly for her love who had endured so much to save her life. Before this, she never imagined that she could love him more, but now knowing what he sacrificed in order to get her back, she looked at him with a new love and admiration that far surpassed the former.

Then there was the matter of being exiled from the Hyuuga clan. Even though her family was dysfunctional at best, it was still her family, and now she could no longer interact with them. It hurt her deeply, knowing that she couldn't confide in Hanabi any longer, that she had no more time to mend her relationship with her father, and that she could not freely have a friendship with Neji, lest he be tortured or killed by the Caged Bird Seal. She frowned as she reflected on how despicable the elders had been, taking advantage of her misfortune in that way. The more she dwelt on it, the more disgusted she became with the clan and their ways.

As Tsunade pushed her back into her room, Hinata tried to stifle her sobs, so as not to wake Naruto. It didn't work, though, and he sat up in alert hearing her crying. He looked over at his newly revived love, knowing that she now knew the truth about her situation. He jumped up from the chair and swept her up in his strong arms, doing his best to hug her pain away. The two medic ninjas left the room and shut the door, giving the two lovers privacy.

"I'm so glad you can finally hug me back," he sighed in relief. "I've been waiting so long for you to come back to me, angel." He sat down in the chair with her in his lap, as he had done so many times before.

She clung to him with all of the strength she had. "I couldn't have done it without you, sweetie," she replied through her tears. "Thank you for loving me so much."

She reached up and touched his cheek, wiping away the single tear escaping from his huge, sky-blue eye. He bent his head down and gently kissed her, and as their lips met, he let out a huge sigh of relief, as if his very life had depended on that kiss.

After almost an hour of kissing and holding each other, Naruto's stomach decided to break up the party. He blushed a little and smirked at his girlfriend, who grinned back at him knowingly. "So, what would you like for your first meal back in the land of the living? Whatever you want, it's yours," he offered.

She only took a second to answer. "Ichiraku ramen. What else is there?" she giggled. "Do you still have their number on speed dial?"

"Without a doubt!" he laughed. He picked up his phone and hit the right buttons, then waited for an answer. "Ayame? Hey, it's your number one customer. Yeah, yeah, she's really doing great now," he winked at Hinata. "Listen, I've got a huge order for you to deliver to the hospital for me. Oh, and could you stop by the bakery and get us a dozen cinnamon rolls? We'd really appreciate it."

Six weeks later on an early evening, Hinata was laying on the lounge chair in the back yard, watching Naruto train. With all of the good food Naruto was feeding her, and the vitamin supplements that she had been prescribed, her hair and skin looked beautiful and vibrant again, and she had gained a good portion of her weight back. Her curvy figure returned and she felt like she had much more energy. She was able to walk short distances unaided, and she even helped with some of the housework now and again.

The recovering kunoichi had also been writing note cards to all her friends, thanking them for all their love and support for her and Naruto during their time of trial. As she started addressing the envelopes, she stopped suddenly, her eyes wide and filling up with tears. Her stifled sobs reached Naruto's ears, and he rushed to her side. "Hinata!" he exclaimed, pulling her to him. "What's wrong? Is something hurting you? Should I run you back to the hospital?"

"N-no. It's...it's nothing like that," she answered shakily, trying to hold back her tears. "It's just that I realized something. I, well...I don't have a name any longer! I don't have an identity anymore. I am no longer a Hyuuga. W-who am I now?" and the words broke her further and she clung to him, crying into his bare chest with new-found grief.

"Dammit!" Naruto swore in a whisper. He stroked her hair quietly, thinking. There was something he had wanted to do, but didn't feel like it should be at this time. Then, after thinking some more, he smiled slightly, changing his mind.

"Come with me," he said gently, pulling her from the lounge chair. She came with him willingly, not even feeling curious at this point what he was up to. She was numb with sadness, and thinking wasn't something she was interested in. He motioned for her to sit on the couch, and ran back to the bedroom. She heard him rummaging around behind the closed door, and then he returned with a new shirt on and a small smile on his face. He sat opposite her, on the coffee table, and took her small hand in his.

"You know, for all of my life, I was alone. I have no family left living, and I've just recently discovered who my family actually was. I know how you feel, in a way, Hinata. I'm not sure who got the rougher deal, though. Me, or you. Having never known a family, it was just the way my life was, and I didn't really know any different. Though I longed for someone to bond with and love, I didn't know what it felt like, so I couldn't really say I missed it. But, for you, you grew up with a family, and though it wasn't ideal by any stretch of the imagination, you still had one. You know what it's like to belong to something, to have the identity of being someone's daughter, or sister.

"Now, we are both alone, but we are alone _together._ There isn't anyone but you and me now. Um, oh, what am I trying to say. I guess, since we are living here and we love each other, that now we are our own family... in a way. We're here for each other, we take care of each other, and it's comfortable, isn't it?" She nodded at him silently, trying to figure out where he was going with is speech.

He saw her confusion, but continued, wanting to tell her everything that was on his mind. "When you were sick, and I thought I would lose you forever, it really made me think. I had to think about what I would do with my life if you did die, how I would go on. And, quickly, I found that I wouldn't be able to. I couldn't imagine anyone being able to take your place in my heart. The thought actually disgusted me, and I vowed to at least be alone forever, if not just give up and commit suicide." Her face took on a shocked and indignant demeanor, and he held up his hand to stop her from responding. "Please, let me finish, and then you can say whatever you want." She relaxed back into the couch, and he took it as a cue to continue.

"Anyway," he smiled again, "since you've been getting well and living here the past few weeks, I've been so happy. I feel content, more calm, and actually centered. It's all because of you. It's because you are here with me, and I know you love me. I'm so grateful for that, Hinata, you just don't know. I don't want this feeling to ever end. I honestly don't know if I could emotionally survive if things did end, between us, I mean. So, I'm hoping we can fix that, so it never has to."

Naruto reached into his right pants pocket and pulled out a ring. It was white gold, with a large amethyst in the center, flanked by two perfect diamonds on each side. Hinata took in a sharp breath, her eyes wide and glistening with emotion and moderate shock. He twirled the small ring on the end of his pinkie with his thumb and continued his speech, grinning a little at her natural reaction to the ring.

"You cry because you no longer have a surname. Well, if you want, why don't you become my wife, and take my name? I'd feel so happy if you decided to be the only other Uzumaki in the world. We could build our own family in time, and we could start a legacy of happiness the likes that this village has never seen before. Will you, Hinata? Will you be my wife and love me forever?" He steadily held the ring out to her, though his insides were shaking like a jar full of frogs. He smiled, but he was fearful in his mind that she would say no, and reject him. He bit his lip in anticipation.

Hinata took the ring from his fingers and gently held it, watching it softly glisten in the fading light of the evening. She couldn't imagine that he would do this, say such eloquent words and purchase such a dazzling token of his love. She could see that the boy she had fallen in love with really was a man now, and he had shown it in so many ways, by protecting her, providing a place for them to live, and by comforting her every time she had any worry at all. And he loved her, he truly, undoubtedly did. He showed his love for her in every gesture, every smile, every word he uttered. He gave everything to her without asking for any in return. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else, either. No one would satisfy the need she had to be loved and accepted like he did.

She looked at him, all the love from her heart and soul reflected in her lavender eyes, and answered, "Naruto Uzumaki, there is nothing in the world that would make me happier than becoming your wife and taking your name. I love you." With that, she placed the ring on her finger and smiled at him, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks this time.

Naruto sat there for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened. _She said 'Yes'...she did, didn't she? SHE SAID 'YES'! _His brain screamed her answer over and over. He jumped over to the couch, engulfing his new fiancee' in a warm and tender embrace. They looked at each other, and instead of kissing immediately, they both started giggling and laughing, squeezing each other tighter as the joy lit up their spirits.

When their giggling died down and they settled a bit, Naruto looked into Hinata's huge eyes, and brushed her now-messy hair from her face. He took that face in both of his hands and kissed her with new passion. He was no longer just kissing his girlfriend, he was now kissing his fiancee', and that thought, for some reason, drove him wild with desire.

He kissed her deeper, and she opened her mouth, inviting him in. Their breathing became heavier and faster and the kissing was so intense at that point that it bordered on painful. Even so, they were both so caught up in what they were feeling that they didn't even notice. He pulled away to look at her, the woman he would marry. Her purple-hued eyes were practically glowing with love and affection, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her lips were fuller and pouty from their intense kissing. Her beauty just reached goddess status for him.

She reached under his shirt and stroked his warm, firm back. She looked into his eyes deeper and said, " Naruto, I'm ready to make love to you now." She reached up and started kissing and nipping on his neck and collar bone, then she ran the tip of her tongue along his jawline, stopping when she reached the tip of his chin.

He looked at her with mild shock, and asked, "Angel, are you sure? I thought you would want to wait until our wedding night. I never imagined you'd want to before that."

He couldn't help but smile, though. He was certain that he wanted her that way since they started dating, but was too much of a gentleman to push things past intense kissing and light caresses. Hinata was a gentle and refined woman, a princess of status that was infinitely too good for the likes of him, and he would never presume to spoil her reputation in any way. Sure, she was the hottest kunoichi in Konoha, but he would never let anyone realize how much he thought that, she was just too chaste in the eyes of the village to treat her as anything less.

She noticed the hesitation in his face, and she picked up his hand and held it to her heart. "This, it belongs to you. It always has, and it will forever. I have wanted to love you like this for so long, there's so many ways I want to show you. Let me, Naruto. Let me show you how much I love you."

She let go of his hand and stood up, smiling. She took the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, then threw it to the floor. Naruto stared at her in awe, her large breasts level with his face. Hinata was wearing a simple lavender satin bra that clasped in the front. Sensing that he would only fumble around trying to unhook it, she did that herself, stripping the sheer fabric away from her body in an effortless motion.

Hinata stood before her man, totally unashamed. She smiled down at him tenderly, begging him with her eyes to touch her. He reached out and gently took her right breast in his hand, making sure not to be too rough. She closed her eyes in pleasure as he caressed her, running his fingers lightly over her nipple. This made her catch her breath, the new sensation bringing out feelings in her she hadn't explored before.

She leaned into him, putting her hands on his head and lead him into kissing and nibbling on both of her breasts. Each time he took a nipple into his mouth she cried out in bliss, arching her back and writhing against him. The noises she was making were driving him crazy, his erection aching to be free.

He stood up with her in his arms, and whisked her to his bedroom, kissing her hungrily as he walked. She felt she should be afraid, nervous, but she just couldn't bring herself to. She never felt so safe, so relaxed than she did at that moment.

He sat her on the bed, and she laid back, taking in the sight before her, of him standing there. He took off his shirt and flung it away from him, not caring where it landed. Hinata took her bottom lip in her teeth, desire smoldering in her smoky lavender eyes, memorizing every detail of his muscular torso. She couldn't believe this incredibly sexy man was hers, finally after years of silent wanting. She shifted on the bed, her ebony hair pooling around the pillows, bringing out the milky tones of her skin.

Suddenly, Naruto stopped. He was about to take off his pants, when a sudden wave of modesty hit him full force. What if she didn't like what she saw? What if he wasn't big enough for her tastes, or maybe he was too big and it scared her? He had no way to gauge what she would find acceptable when it came to erect manhood, and his insecurity made him blush.

Instinctively understanding why he stopped stripping, Hinata decided to ease his mind a little. She was feeling unnaturally bold, and stood up in the middle of the bed, turning so her back was to him. Next, she pushed her thumbs under the waistband of her shorts and underwear, pushing them down as she bent over. This action basically positioned her bare sex right in front of Naruto, and she wiggled her ass a little as she stepped out of the remainder of her clothing. This left her man standing there, eyes riveted to her naked body. He didn't dare move, he was afraid the vision would disappear if he did.

Hinata then turned around, smiling and knelt in front of him. She ran her hands down his chest, and then down to his sweatpants. She kept her eyes locked to his, smiling seductively, as she reached in and took his member into her small hand, squeezing it firmly. This took all of his reservations from his mind, and he dropped his and underwear to the floor in one swift motion, stepping his way out as he moved closer to his bed and the goddess who was stroking his manhood like a pro. He exhaled a puff of air from his lungs, struggling to stay still as her hands moved over his most sensitive area.

Hinata wanted to please him, and so she made a decision. Holding on to his erection, she looked up at him with nymph-like sweetness, and then took the head in her small mouth, swirling her warm, wet tongue around it. This action elicited a guttural, "Oh, shit," from him as he threw his head back in near ecstasy. His strong reaction let her know she was on the right track, and so she continued, sliding him deeper into her mouth over and over, her saliva running down the shaft and into the warm mass of fur at the base of his genitals.

He found the presence of mind to look down at her sucking him, and the sight nearly sent him over the edge instantly. She looked so sexy with him in her mouth, her sloppy wet lips clenched around him. He never imagined she would be so forward with him, and he was happy that Hinata wasn't going to be prudish with their sex lives. He moaned happily as she pushed her tongue against him, intensifying the friction. She kept on, the wet sucking sounds and the feeling of her mouth sliding on him making him feel more and more tension. It felt so amazing, but he didn't want to climax yet, not in her mouth. He stopped her gently, and pulled away.

She laid herself back on the bed, exposing her entire body to him without any shyness whatsoever. Naruto had to wonder if Ino playing in her brain had anything to do with Hinata's sexual forwardness. If so, he would have to thank her.

He smiled down at his love, his hand going to her breast, lightly caressing it and brushing his palm over her pert nipple. Her face flushed with desire, eyes closed and mouth open, beckoning him to continue to please her. He bent down and lightly licked the pink nub, then blew on it. She arched her back, shoving her bust into his face. He latched his mouth onto the nipple this time, sucking and twirling his tongue on it, making her moan loudly. Her hands clasped his head, and his free hand went to her other breast, twisting and stroking the nipple there. She was tossing her head like a wild animal, lost in his touches and her own passion. He couldn't believe this was his Hinata. She was revealing herself as a sexual spitfire, and he couldn't have been more ecstatic with her reactions.

Naruto decided it was time to switch things up a bit and slid down her body, pushing her slender legs apart. Without any hesitation, he plunged his tongue in between her slit, finding her swollen clit between the folds. She screamed his name, instantly bucking her pelvis up to his mouth, grinding against his chin as his lips clamped on to her love button, sucking it gently. Her juices were running out of her, dampening the sheets underneath her throbbing sex. He ran his tongue down further, sliding it into her soaking wet hole, lapping up her essence. She was grabbing and fondling her own breasts, moaning and whining, her eyes scrunched shut. Then she spoke, in raspy gasps.

"Naruto, baby, I need you inside me. Please. Now!" her voice pierced the air.

He could do nothing but obey her at that point. He brought his face up to hers, and kissed her passionately, her sexual excitement still dripping from his chin. The musky smell and light taste mingling in their mouths made their passion even more intense. She was mad with need for him, and she ran her fingernails down his strong back over and over.

He positioned himself between her trembling legs, the anticipation hovering in the air was thick and heavy. They both wanted each other to the point of exploding. He took his manhood and slid it up and down her slit, lubricating it for a more comfortable entry. Then, as he slid the tip just inside her, he breathed, "I love you, angel," and he plunged into her, filling her core with his engorged member. She arched her back to the point where it looked like her neck would break, the gasp of rapturous pleasure ringing through the house like a siren's call.

Since Hinata wasn't a virgin, Naruto had no need to go slow and easy. He could love her at his own pace, and he set that pace at a steady grind. He lifted her pelvis off the bed and brought it up to his own, pushing as deep as he dared into her hot cavern. He was in a good groove now, but he could feel that it wouldn't be long until he would orgasm. He took Hinata's right hand and placed it on her exposed clit, bidding her to play with it so she would come faster. She understood instinctively, and her fingers flew over the engorged organ, making her squeeze him tighter as her pleasure ascended higher and higher.

Finally, the wave of the orgasm broke over the beautiful woman, her eyes opening as if in shock and her impassioned wail breaking through the room as her vaginal muscles clenched and spasmed around his throbbing manhood. He was slamming into her like a machine at this point and her climax triggered his. He involuntarily pushed into her with raw force, his fingers digging into her ass cheeks and lifting her body from the bed as he emptied his hot seed into her for what seemed like forever. A feral roar emanated from his gaping mouth, sounding suspiciously like the fox he carried within him. As he finished, they both collapsed to the bed in a heap, with him on top of her, exhausted and shaking.

They lay there for a long time, both of them doing their best to just breathe at that point. Finally, Hinata raised her head a little to look at him and gasped out the single word, "Wow," making both of them smirk with satisfaction. Naruto couldn't help thinking that if this was how his sex life was going to be from now on, then life was definitely going to be worth living.

They lay there for a few minutes, and then there came a pounding at the front door. Naruto startled, and jumped up, pulling on his sweatpants. He ran to the door and opened it, only to find Kiba and Akamaru on the other side.

"Yo, man," the dog ninja greeted. Then he sniffed lightly and his ultra-sensitive nose wrinkled in annoyance. "Damn, dude! What have you guys been doing in here? Setting off pheromone bombs? Holy shit!"

Naruto tried to hide his irritation at Kiba's timing, but didn't do a very good job. "What do you want, Kiba? I'm sort of busy, if you couldn't tell."

"Whew, no kidding!" Kiba exclaimed. "Listen, get cleaned up quick and get dressed. You've been summoned by the Hokage. She wants you and Hinata to come to her office immediately." He backed away from the open door slightly, as his eyes started to water from the odor only he could smell so well.

"The godaime wants to see us? What about?" he questioned Kiba curiously.

"Dunno, man. She just wants to talk to you. It's urgent, and that's the only thing I know. Better get your ass in gear and get up there before she gets pissy and blows a gasket again," Kiba answered as he rolled his eyes. "Look, I gotta get out of here, seriously. Later!" He and his dog ran off, waving goodbye.

"Well, looks like our little party is over," Naruto scowled. "Hinata, get up! We have to get going!" he called over his shoulder. He slammed the front door and ran back to the bedroom and his new fiancee'.

Little did he know what the implications of this meeting with the Hokage would be, and how their lives would change.

**A/N:**

**Ok, here's the deal. I was going to end this story, but then I got a great plot stuck in my head and have decided to continue. I was going to make a sequel, but I think I'll just continue it on the same story posting. It's going to be a big story, much bigger than I originally intended. The thing is, where I'm going to take it could wind up being amazing, and so I'm going to pursue it soon. I hope it doesn't ruin anything, but I have a feeling if you like things so far, you'll like where it will go from here. **

**I do want to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. I kind of burned myself out writing both this and "Dichotomy of the Heart" at the same time. Dichotomy is going to be my main focus for the next few weeks, as I'm starting to feel like that story is suffering and I can't let that happen. I like it too much. I also like writing in first person more, so it will be much easier on my puny little brain. **

**Anyway, my point is, if you want to stop reading "Need", then you can. This part of the story is basically done, and I'm moving to part two. If you want to continue keeping up with it, I would love that, but don't expect a new chapter right away, as I need to finish outlining the rest of the story. I hope you've enjoyed what I've done so far, and I'd like to thank my supporters and reviewers for keeping me going. Thanks a bunch!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello, my friends in fan fiction land! I know it's been a long time, and I am truly sorry, but it can't be helped. Business has taken over my life, and I have precious little time to write, though my stories are on my mind constantly. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me!**_

_**This chapter is annoyingly short, but I know many of you are curious as to where I'm going to take things now that the first part is obviously over. Well, this is an explanation of the basis for the rest of the story, so I hope it will keep your interest. If not, you can walk away knowing that you have completed the first part, and that at least that section had a happy ending. **_

_**I hope it won't be so long before I can finish the next installment, but I really can't say for sure. I'm hoping to crank out another chapter of "Dichotomy" this week, as well. Thanks for your continued support of my writing, and hope you all are enjoying the last bits of summer that we have left!**_

Hinata and Naruto walked into the Hokage's office, hands together and totally lost in each other. Their plans of marriage the only thing on their minds, they almost forgot where they had been going.

"Naruto, close the door and sit down," the Godaime ordered flatly. Naruto did as instructed, noticing that no one else, not even Shizune was in the office with them. This somewhat concerned him, as it meant high-level secrecy was in the works, which therefore meant something dire and dangerous.

"First of all, congratulations on your engagement," she smiled warmly. Before Naruto could yell at her for the ruined surprise, she answered, "Yes, I know all about it. The huge ring on Hinata's finger would clue in a blind man." She winked at the young woman, trying to lighten the mood before she dropped the hammer. She then folded her fingers under her chin, and rested her weary head upon them.

"Naruto, gaki," she sighed, "there's something I need to tell you that I've had to wait until now to speak to you about. It's something that is going to upset you very much, you're going to blow your top, honestly. You're also going to be extremely angry with me, yet again, and I accept that. It can't be helped, though, it's the way I needed to handle this, so please, try to understand my position before you let loose."

Naruto was as tense as a piano wire by this time. He flexed his jaw, and his blue eyes set upon hers as a cat's would on a wounded bird. Hinata finally broke the silence. "Please, go on, Tsunade-sama." She put her hand on Naruto's arm, ready to steady him when he lost his temper.

Tsunade let loose another heavy breath, closing her eyes to speak. "We have gotten word from one of our ANBU trackers working in the distant lands across the ocean to the east. Someone we have been tracking for many months has finally surfaced in a European country called France. That someone, well...that person is Kabuto."

No matter how much he had told himself to hang on and be cool, whatever the news, Naruto couldn't keep himself sane with the mention of the one man he loathed more than anyone. His eyes lost their focus, the rage building within him as the realization of Tsunade's betrayal hit him like a speeding train.

"YOU!" he bellowed. "You allowed me to think he was dead, that the ANBU unit who rescued us had killed him! You lied to me with a straight face for months, all the while that fucking snake bastard has been breathing air and walking around? You BITCH! I ought to gut you like the drunken pig you are for keeping this from us!"

He stood suddenly as he spoke, and immediately five ANBU members surrounded him, ready to kill him for threatening the Hokage. Hinata quickly stood next to him, throwing her arms around him and holding him tight.

"Naruto, honey, stop this now," she begged. "You just openly threatened the Hokage. They can execute you for this. Sweetie, just let her finish. Please, sit with me. I-I'm scared."

And truly, she was. She knew if the ANBU squad had landed in the midst of them, that their next action would be quick and deadly. They had every right to kill the both of them where they stood. Naruto had just committed treason, and it would be justified. She pulled at his arm desperately, trying to urge him back down into his seat. He gritted his teeth and finally sat harshly on the chair beneath him. Hinata slumped into her own chair, finally releasing the breath she had been holding.

"Very good, Hinata," the Hokage praised. "You'll make an excellent wife for him. You're probably the only person who can talk him down like that."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Hinata mumbled, looking down at the tiles on the floor. She was upset at both Naruto and the Hokage and still frightened over what was happening.

"Stop the small talk, dammit! So, you've admitted that you've lied to us about Kabuto being alive all this time, so you must have a point. Spit it out, you old hag, you're boring me," Naruto spat at Tsunade. His hands were white-knuckled on the arms of the chair.

"You insolent, snotty shit! Who do you think you're talking to?" Tsunade growled, gripping her desk. "Look, I had my reasons for keeping this from you until now. I'm too pissed off to get into why, I don't think you deserve to know right now. I have a mission for you, S-ranked and totally top-secret. It has everything to do with Kabuto, but I'm about to give it to someone else, since you're acting like a three-year-old who needs his ass paddled."

"Ha, when I was three, villagers were breaking my ribs and fingers for sport. Shove that ass-paddling bullshit up someone else's hole who's scared of it." Naruto couldn't hide his contempt, though the details of the mission had peaked his interest. Hinata cringed at the thought of the abuse her beloved had received as a child, and also at his coarse description of it.

Tsunade growled under her breath, wishing that her glare would actually tear a hole in the younger man who was besting her verbally. She knew it would come to this with his reaction, but they were like oil and water that was on set on fire these days, and no matter how much she loved him, he had become a total pain in the ass. She found that she couldn't keep her composure any more than he could when it came to arguing.

She turned to Hinata, hoping for a more civil discourse. "How is your condition? Are you training now? How long until you think you are mission-ready?" she bombarded the woman with one question after another, trying to keep Naruto from butting in.

"I have been doing much better, Hokage-sama, but I have just started training again. I really can't say how soon I will be mission-ready, but I can assure you that Naruto and I will do everything in our power to make sure I am so we can go on this mission for you," Hinata did her best to sound convincing. Honestly, she was content nowadays to play house with Naruto, and her rehabilitation and training was normally an afterthought most days.

"No, you can't go on any mission where Kabuto is involved. I won't let you," Naruto announced with a finality to his voice and his arms crossed smugly.

Hinata shot him a death glare worthy of the most feared Hyuuga warrior. "_EXCUSE_ ME?" she seethed at him, disbelief dripping from her words. "_YOU_ think you're going to tell _ME_ when I can and can't go on a mission? You may want to back up and re-think that one, mister."

Naruto's eyes got as round as saucers and his mouth hung open when the thoughts in his brain flew away with the frightening look she gave him. "Uh," was all that came out of him, and he bit his bottom lip and slumped down in the chair as if he was trying to disappear.

Meanwhile, Tsunade was doing her best trying to stay up out of the floor as she writhed around in her chair laughing boisterously. One hand gripped her stomach as she let out peals of giggling at the site of shy little Hinata cowing her fiance'. Never had she wished so much that she had a video camera.

After a few moments everyone in the room had recovered. The ANBU members had fallen back to stand against the walls of the room, silently standing guard in case Naruto's temper got out of hand again. Naruto and Hinata sat waiting for the Hokage to continue with the mission particulars.

"Hinata, I want you up to speed and strong enough to fight within a month. I can't give you any more time than that, as we need to move on the information that's been given. If you fail to perform, you're out and I'll have to send another jonin in your place. I don't want to do that, because you and Naruto being a newlywed couple on their honeymoon would make the perfect cover for the mission." Tsunade let that sink in for a moment before she continued.

You will be sent to France, all expenses paid, and will be ordered to follow Kabuto anywhere he goes, no matter how far it is. I want to know who he is dealing with, what he is up to with these people, and as much information as you can glean about their activities before you apprehend him. There's a reason he wanted Kyuubi chakra, and I want to know what it is, and to whom he's trading it," she announced, looking deadly serious.

"Someone is using this chakra, and with it belonging to the Kyuubi, it can't be good what they're doing. If it is being used in tandem with this 'magic' discipline that was used on Hinata, then this may have an impact on everyone and everything, not just our country, but possibly the world. We have to work to stop whatever it is, and we have to neutralize Kabuto.

"So, you have one month to prepare yourselves for an extended mission and to plan a wedding. I want you married and ready for your honeymoon in Europe by the time you are to leave. Can you handle that?" she asked, wondering if it was too much too soon.

It was Hinata who stood, a determined grin on her face. "For Konoha, we can accomplish anything, Hokage-sama," she announced confidently.

"Whatever it takes to stop and destroy Kabuto," Naruto snarled, his hands balled at his sides.

"Good," the Godaime affirmed. "Now get out of here, there's lots to do, and time is flying from us."

The couple bowed and left quietly, the ANBU members following in flashes. Tsunade sat at her desk, hoping she hadn't just damned her favorite couple to an early death. Sometimes she really loathed the power she had over others' lives.


End file.
